A Drunken Croc Bait Marriage
by Call Brig On Over
Summary: The Day of the Breach changed the course of Vale's history but it was the day after the Breach that truly Changed "Captian," Jaune's life forever. A silly adventure where Jaune has a Hook Hand, Tock didn't die and Cardin isn't a complete asshole. (Being rewritten, chapters 1-7 finished)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:** It is no secret that Tock is based on the crocodile from Peter Pan so, I thought it would be hilarious to have Hook and even Peter Pan in the story. But to make that idea work, some things needed to be changed. I will be explaining what changed, how it changed and when possible, why it changed via flashbacks. Needless to say, this will be a different Jaune and thus some of his relationships will also have changed.

But, enough talk!

Let's get this Train Wreck Rolling!

* * *

Captains Log:

The day that we all have been waiting for is almost upon us, tomorrow my team and I along with most of the freshman class will be going on our very first official mission. Why is it that a few of the teams have already left on missions like our sister team RWBY who left just a couple of days ago, I couldn't tell you but I think it was because sending us in waves was easier to manage. I have no evidence to support this other than the fact that there are still some teams that are waiting to go on their missions, but that's not what really matters. The mission my team is on will be to assist another Huntsman with what should be a simple investigation and possible extermination mission at a small settlement that doesn't even have a name yet. Interestingly Ren and Nora seem especially eager and maybe a little anxious about this mission, I wonder if it has something to do with what happened to them in the past. Though, I'd be lying if I didn't confess that I wasn't the most nervous one on the team and the worst part is that I can't even hide it from anyone! Though I have tried to just tell them that I'm nervous about getting on a Bullhead and thanks to what happened on my very first day at Beacon, everyone believes it without question even if they aren't fully convinced. For example my best friend Ruby seemed to suspect that I'm lying to her and Pyrrha... well, there was no way I could hide it from her. I know that they just want to help me but I wish that they would stop looking at my arm like I'm some kind of invalid.

Other people are even worse, I remember when I first tried hitting on Weiss, she looked like she was going to tell me off and then she saw my cheap prosthetic arm and just... I don't want to be pitied and I don't want my parents to worry or blame themselves just because they couldn't afford anything more expensive than the literal bottom of the barrel and above all, I do not want my sisters to think for even a second that it is their fault that we couldn't afford something far more durable to serve as my arm, it's not like I even need two arms to wield my Rapier so it's alright.

But I'm getting off of the subject, the point is that tomorrow Team JNPR goes on its first official mission and I will finally prove once and for all that I "Captain" Jaune Arc am a real Bonafide Huntsman despite my missing arm and despite my transcripts! Then I will finally be able to stand beside everyone else as a true equal and prove that pirates can be Huntsmen too!

Note to Self: Remember to try and Find a fancy hat at the Settlement or anything else I could add to complete my pirate aesthetic.

Second Note to Self: Try to find out what Beacon's policy on pets, maybe I can get a bird or a crab of some sort.

* * *

Fifty miles isn't a great distance not by any means. But, there are times when it feels like an impossible distance, an invisible barrier separating one location from another. In the world of Remnant, where actual Soulless monsters existed and wanted to kill you for the crime of living, fifty miles between a small settlement and the safety of the capital can be a Death Sentence. That's why Jaune couldn't fail, that is why he and the rest of the Team JNPR had to succeed on this mission, because they were the only ones wh-!

"Hellllooooo, Remnant to Jaune! Remnant to Jaune, do you read me?"

Snapping back to reality he answered, "Heh, I read you loud and clear," he then turned to face his concerned friend and teammate Nora Valkyrie also known to some as the Pink Grenadier or at least she insists that some people knew her by that title though Jaune himself never met anyone who actually called her that.

"Well duh, you can hear me! It's not like you've suddenly gone deaf, Wait! Can you suddenly go deaf without any warning whatsoever!?" Nora was suddenly right next to her best friend Ren and she grabbed him by his arm and began shaking him, "Ren, am I suddenly and inexplicably going to go Deaf!?"

"No, Nora. You're not."

"Oh, well in that case, Jaune what's wrong?" Nora asked with a look and tone that made it clear that this was serious question.

_Dammit, I forgot just how perceptive Nora really was, I need to lie… again,_ "Well as you know we are about to climb into a Bullhead and I do have a history of getting a bit… airsick." he rubbed his stomach as he said this hoping that the dramatization would be enough to get Nora and everyone else off of his back, at least for now, _I'm sorry Nora, I'm Sorry Ren. I want to tell you about my transcripts, hell I want to tell Ruby as well and I will, right after I prove myself on this mission._

"Hey Kids, are you coming or not?" Shouted the rather impatient Bullhead pilot who did not appreciate all these little delays.

"Well Captain, shall we depart?" Asked Pyrrha as she already began to board the Bullhead, she soon was followed by Ren and Nora who all asked the same question in their own playful way until Jaune was the only one who wasn't aboard the metal vessel and not wanting to keep them waiting he started to climb aboard when before his eyes, history was made...

**BOOOOOOOOOM!**

The sound of the explosion lasted for only a second before fading away as the blaring sound of alarms filled the void as the sky began to be choked with smoke. However the echoes of that singular found was reverberating the through the streets of city and inside the hearts and minds of the people who were either frozen in shock or running away in panic as their lives were irreconcilably changed for the worse, morale was plummeting and all too familiar bestial howls began to fill the air as the screaming began. Soon after that, the entirety of Team JNPR along with every Huntsman and Huntsman-in-training available to respond received the Code Red emergency notice on their scrolls which confirmed their worst fears: The Walls had been Breached and the Grimm were inside the city.

"Take us to Vale!" Jaune screamed at the pilot who was already planning out the new route, he then turned to face his teammate Ren whose normally stoic face was now painfully easy to read and twisted by conflicting desires and shame. "Ren, you have my word that when this is over, We'll go and save that village, I promise."

For a second he just stood there but that indecision on his face was quickly pushed back by the conviction of a true huntsmen, "Thank you captain," With that said, he climbed aboard the Bullhead and Team JNPR flew into a kingdom that was under attack.

* * *

There was a breach in the wall. For the people of Vale who have spent generations living in near perfect peace and safety, thanks to the massive wall which shielded their city from the hordes outside, a breach was unbelievable and even the tragedy of Mount Glenn could not shake this faith and in fact it only made it stronger since Vale had been spared from the horror thanks to the wall. The very idea that anyone would plot to put a hole in that venerable shield, was laughable and yet that was exactly what happened. A brave group of heroines under the guidance of a vaunted professor tried and failed to stop a train addled with explosives from bursting through the wall thus allowing the Grimm to enter and destroy. The old Guardian of Vale failed in its duty all thanks to the efforts of a very angry and confused group known as the White Fang working under the orders of an manipulative abusive taskmaster working under the "Suggestions," of a self-important Pawn.

The sight that greeted Team JNPR from the Bullhead was the results of years of planning and work by cruel minds having finally come to chaotic fruition and upon landing and reaching the location of what would become known as the Breach, they saw a glimpse into a dark potential future that would freeze the hearts of those unprepared to handle the sight. However JNPR did not care about that possible future, not when in the present they could see their sister Team known as RWBY exhausted and desperately trying to valiantly to hold back the black and white tide of Grimm as well as a few surviving members of the White Fang who were trying to decide between fighting the Huntresses or fleeing from Grimm that they had allowed into the city.

The situation offered countless questions and not a single answer, but right now they just didn't care. What mattered wasn't that Team RWBY were supposed to be on a mission in Mount Glenn nor was it how they ended up Back in Vale fighting a losing battle against the monster flowing out of the old train tunnel that connected the Kingdom to that massive graveyard on the mountain. No, what really mattered right now was that RWBY as a whole were moving sluggish, they were being sloppy and fighting in a bizarrely defensive manner and the reason why became abundantly clearer and clearer the closer Team JNPR got. It was exhaustion, their sister team had been fighting over an extended period of time, while injured and against overwhelming odds. They needed help and they needed it now, or this was going to turn into a last stand.

On the front line stood Ruby Rose who was tired but she couldn't stop, if she stopped then she would die and it wouldn't be just her, the civilians who were depending on her and the rest of her team would die as well. The mission was a complete failure, her team was battered, they were all running on fumes and already too many Grimm had managed to slip past them but they were still standing their ground, they didn't have a choice. Retreat would only leave themselves open to the monsters while putting someone else in danger, they needed help and so far it didn't seem like reinforcements were on the way. Ruby looked around and saw that both Weiss and Yang were close to their limits and Blake wasn't too far behind, she also saw that a new wave of Grimm were charging towards them and instantly knew how this was going to end, _Well, mom… looks like I'll be seeing you soon._

"Queen Anne's Revenge!" Suddenly the oncoming wave of Grimm was buffeted by a barrage of bright neon pink grenades which then covered the battlefield in an equally pink haze obscuring everything inside. However from within that haze, Ruby could make out two figures darting through the smoke and cutting down any of the Grimm who survived the initial strike and then her heart soared when she heard a friendly familiar voice behind her, "We have been practicing that move in secret for months. To prepare for the Vytal Festival, shame we couldn't have for then."

Ruby turned and to her great relief, she saw her best friend Jaune standing there with his Rapier drawn and ready to cut down any Grimm that came near, "Oh thank the Brothers! Quick, Jaune we need your team to hold the Grimm back if you do that Weiss might be able to seal up the hole."

"I don't know Ruby… there's a lot of them. Maybe we should be retreating at least until more help arrives," he answered nervously as a new wave of Grimm replaced the once that had just been destroyed by his team.

"No! You have to listen to me, if we don't stop them here-!" Ruby never got a chance to finish and she didn't have to because at that moment the blessed sound of chain gun fire began to drown out all other noises as bullets came flying from above cutting down Grimm and creating the space need for Team CFVY to land in the middle of the chaos so they could get to work cutting a swath through the monsters. However even this team of upper years would not be enough to make a real difference today, good thing then that it wasn't just them as Bullhead after Bullhead appeared bringing teams of Huntsmen-In-Training as well, Professionals and Professors of Beacon who immediately went to work and producing instant results. Not only that but the Bullheads themselves were also providing supporting fire and much needed surveillance so no one would be caught off guard. And finally but not least the Atlas Cruisers came in provided the push needed to end the Breach by deploying the Atlasian Knights who thanks to their number and disposable nature as droids were able to effectively fill in any gaps within the defense preventing anymore Grimm from entering the city, but there was still the issue of the ones who had already broken through.

"Miss Rose, Mister Arc could I have a moment of your time?" Ruby and Jaune turned to see Professor Glynda Goodwitch looking at them with a rare expression that made no effort to hide both the relief and pride that she had for them and all her students right now, "Miss Rose, you and the rest of Team RWBY have done well, go back to Beacon and rest. We will handle it from here. As for you Mister Arc, some Grimm have managed to break through so I will assign you and some of other of the more mobile teams to hunt them down while everyone else holds this position. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" Ruby and Jaune responded in unison.

* * *

When you are a Bounty Hunter the possibility of betrayal or an ambush is an unignorable risk that for many in the business was an eventually. It was just something that would happen sooner or later and no amount of planning could prepare you because it was just how things worked out in this profession and the only way to avoid it was to quit or die before it happened. In fact, Tock could remember her dear Grandma once claiming that it was a rite of passage and that it didn't matter whether you were a Bounty Hunter, a Huntsman or a Mercenary or even how long you've been in the business, in her eyes you were greenhorn until you had survived at least one betrayal or ambush, preferably both. Well Granny would be proud to know that her granddaughter "Captain," Tock was no greenhorn by any standard and neither were her "crew" as they had already survived more than their own fair share of ambushes and even betrayals, some which were admittedly well-earned. Hell, they did more than survive! They learned turning every experience into a lesson that they took to heart! And it was thanks to one such lesson that they even came to Vale, because even though lawmen and proper society rules could be a pain in the ass, they were also a shield.

Had they gone to some random bar located in the middle of nowhere then sure they could have celebrated their latest success in a truly wild manner but, then anyone who they pissed on during the job could track them down, which wasn't too hard since Tock was crocodile faunus and those were rare, and attempt revenge regardless of who got caught in the crossfire and while she and her enjoyed a good scrap, they also had no deserve to drag others into a fight that had nothing to do with them. However here in Vale, anyone who tried to pull a little frontier justice would be doing so with the understanding that the police and Huntsmen Academy would step in and for many, that was too much of a risk. Vale was their safe haven.

But, then something happened. A loud boom, alarms, people screaming and the all too familiar sound of monsters out on the hunt all joined together to tell the story of how something had gone wrong on a fundamental level, however the worst part wasn't the chaos or the death but rather the sick feeling in Tock's guts, the same feeling that she could see on the face of her entire crew as each one slowly began to suspect the same thing, that they... were somehow responsible for this. Meanwhile it didn't take long for the other patrons of the bar to pull out their scrolls to try to figure what was going on and even less time for them to find out, "There's a Breach in the wall and the Grimm have entered Vale!" someone foolishly shouted, sending half the bar into a panicked frenzy while the other half was frozen in either disbelief, confusion or fear.

The Crocodilian Huntress and her crew belonged to the latter half as they remained in their seats trying to convince themselves that everything going on was a mistake or was actually a small issue blown out of proportion but reality of the situation became harder and harder to deny as the sounds of chaos grew. Soon they had no choice but to accept what was going on and carefully weigh the options that they now had before them: Should they ditch the bar they are drinking in and run leaving the patrons and the admittedly cute but also rather dickish bartender at the mercy of those devils? Or do they play the role of heroes? Was that even an option anymore considering what they had done?

Eventually someone who was close to the window decided that it would be a good idea to peek through and see what was going on outside. The bar was located inside an alleyway which made it a little awkward but he could see the crowds running to the shelter and instead doing the smart thing and joining them he instead did the stupid thing and just continued to watch as his imagination ran wild. Soon enough he saw something or at least he thought he did, the truth would never be discovered and even if he had seen something it could have easily just been the shadow of a cloud. But fear and paranoia were calling the shots now so he just screamed, "They're coming! The Grimm are already here!" Whether this was true or just a panic born hallucination no longer mattered as the words triggered a chain reaction that spread to all the patrons. Fear and panic skyrocketed which naturally grabbed the attention of several Grimm who were now converging on the establishment sealing the fate of all those who sought to hide within its walls as even more monsters were drawn in.

The time for deliberation was over, Tock and her crew needed to make their decision now. So, without saying a word to each other they finished their drinks, gathered their stuff, readied their weapons and began walking towards the door, their choice firmly made.

* * *

Many believe incorrectly that the glory and honor of battle belong solely to the ones fighting on the frontline like RWBY had done to the best of their ability and while there can be no denial that they deserved all the praise they would receive for their heroic actions, they were far from the only ones fighting. All over Vale there were people struggling to protect others from the Grimm even if they weren't Huntsmen such as the police department who was doing their best to lead people to shelters or the Atlas Droids and Soldiers on the ground providing additional backup and support and there was even a certain nightclub owner that had opened the doors of his establishment as a safe haven as his men and lovely bodyguards kept the monsters at bay. All these people and more were unsung heroes of the day whose actions would go unrecognized and in the future JNPR would look back on this day and proudly count themselves among them.

However in the present the only thing they could see were smashed cars, broken windows and the rare but still far too common corpse that only hammered in the importance of their mission which they carried out with great ferocity engaging and cutting down any of the beasts they came across, such as a Beowolf who before it even processed what was happening met its end when Jaune's sword pierced its neck and it wasn't alone. Off to the side on top of a car was a monkey like Grimm known as a Varana which was a species notorious for its ability to wield weapons, however it could not keep up with Ren's martial prowess and died screaming as the Huntsmen broke its neck. Meanwhile Nora was in the middle of the street, locked in a contest of strength with an Ursa who could only feebly growl as its body began to break under her might.

And finally Pyrrha was skillfully dispatching an Elder Creep when by pure chance she spotted movement in a nearby alleyway and proceeded to investigate, what she found was a horde, tightly packed by the walls of the alley and crowded towards the end, We might have missed these guy entirely… but what could be here that attracted so many of these Grimm? Overhead she spotted a sign advertising a bar that was apparently located here, There must be people in there!, "Guys! Get over here!"

Within moments her teammates were by her side trying to decide what was the best way to approach this situation, _Ideally we would just carpet bomb them but the people inside might get caught in blast,... we'll have to get the Grimm to come to us,_ Jaune scratched his chin for a bit before a plan came to him. "Pyrrha, Ren get their attention and see if you can draw them away from the buildings. Nora when you have a clear shot, let them have it but use the weaker grenades to limit the damage to the buildings. We'll have a fight on our hands but we're more than capable of taking out what's left!" With their orders issued, Team JNPR took positions and got to work.

The first step was the easiest as Ren and Pyrrha opened fire on the Grimm and had no space to even try and dodge the bullets coming at them and just like they hoped it didn't take long for some of the Grimm to finally take notice and switch their focus onto the huntsmen gunning them down. The first to charge was an Ursa who had its attention on Ren but found itself blocked by a pack of eager Beowolfs and Creepers who also rushed forward and accidentally crashed into each other. However, the pile-up didn't last long as some of the Grimm simply climbed over their trapped kin and resume their mindless bloodthirsty charge which forced the Hunstmen to brace themselves for melee combat but just before Grimm could leave the alleyway, Nora began to fire her grenades at the rabid monsters resulting in the first wave being decimated.

It was however was a small victory as the Grimm who had been killed were the smaller less armored varieties, the ones behind them who then took their place were older, stronger, smarter and it would take more than a weak explosion to even slow them down. They broke through the pink smoke and with a mighty bone chilling roar engaged the Huntsmen in battle where the smallest mistake would have dire consequences. But JNPR were not the only ones participating in this fight.

* * *

Tock ducked under the bone-breaking swing of an Ursa Minor and took the opportunity to take her rapier and stab it through its foot which she immediately followed up with a rising swing from her cutlass which split Ursa's face in two instantly killing it. She then looked to her left and saw her hammer-wielding crew mate Cecco crushing a Creeper's skull with pure strength while the eye patch wearing Mason provided covering fire with his rifle killing a Beowolf that thought itself clever. On her right was the Bar counter and behind it was the mask-wearing Turley whose machetes were making short work of a different Beowolf who could do nothing but snarl as it died pathetically. Once Turley was done the four bounty hunters took the opportunity to gather and look around the bar where they soon noticed three things. The first being that everyone else had already successfully hidden within the back of the establishment where they theoretically ought to be safe provided that no one does anything stupid but given what had happen earlier, they weren't willing to bet on it. The second was related to the third and it was that the Grimm Horde was distracted by someone who was either tough enough or stupid enough to go out of their way to pick a fight with actual soulless monsters. Which one it was didn't matter, what did matter was what they were going to do with this opportunity.

"Oi, Boss. Got any ideas?" inquired Cecco.

"Well, let's see love. On one hand, we kin go round th' back 'n' sneak out of th' bar, sin we cleaned up hings ere th' people hiding in th' back won't be needing us no more, especially sin it looks lik' th' cavalry has arrived." Tock said while stroking her chin.

"The other option is to go out the front entrance and help with the fight, though that won't help us in any way. So I vote to duck out the back," said Turley while taking a moment to fix his mask.

"Now ye see Turley, das how come a'm th' leader 'n' not ye," Tock said with a wide grin that showed off the teeth that she was so proud of, It hurt lik' a bitch tae file mah teeth tae look lik' this bit 'twas sae worth it.

"And how am I wrong?"

"Th' deal is, security is gonna be a mite tight for a bit, aye? We huv a go 'n' sneak out now 'n' we'll just be giving our… former gaffer th' heads up," She then began walking toward the front entrance of the bar while playfully twirling her swords, "But, we help wash hings up now and when th' time comes tae leave, no one wull stop us."

Mason was the first to understand what their leader was trying to say, "We got to assume the worst and act assuming that bastard will be watching the city exits and waiting for us to show our faces but, if we lay low. He'll think we bit the dust!" he declared excitedly.

"And if we make pals with some huntsmen, they might share a sweet tidbit of info." Cecco was now fully on board with Tock's plan.

"Now c'moan wee jimmies, let's mak' some new friends 'n' who knows, we might become heroes by th' end o' this," Tock said as she stepped outside to join the fight along with the rest of her crew.

* * *

Tock had a powerful semblance but it came with a crippling weakness. For sixty seconds she could become invincible however the catch was that it needed to drain the entirety of her Aura reserves to fuel it leaving her completely vulnerable at the end. Fortunately she understood her limits, that's why she carried an alarm clock on her waist and why she hadn't used it back in the bar, sure she could have slaughtered the Grimm inside within the sixty seconds, but then what about the Grimm waiting outside? Her minute of glory would have just left her tired and exposed and without their captain to lead them who knew how well her crew could handle things. However all those concerns were now in the past, here in the present they had reinforcements that could back them up allowing them to go on the attack instead of playing defense; the tables have deliciously turned and so she set her alarm clock, licked her teeth and with her crew by her side, let the Wankers have it.

On the other side of the carnage Pyrrha Nikos was almost a serene image of grace and cold brutality as she performed her dance in between the beasts, cutting and stabbing and bashing them aside with her weapon of choice Miló and her shield Akoúo̱. Alongside her was Nora swinging the War hammer Magnhild in devastating arcs shatter bone and sending the monsters flying with each strike often killing them before they could hit the ground. Beside her was Lie Ren who was living up to his reputation as a ninja as he dashed past the beasts cutting and shooting with his duel pistols Storm Flowers while occasionally delivering devastating unarmed strikes. And finally was the leader Jaune who wielded his nameless rapier with a certain degree of undeniable skill being able to to stay out of danger's reach and striking back whenever the opportunity arose, though it was clear that he still had much to learn in comparison to the rest of his team but he was getting there.

The Grimm trapped between the two forces were quickly annihilated.

It was only after the violence was concluded did the two groups finally meet in the middle and get a good look at each other neither were prepared for what they saw. On one side stood Jaune who looked like a proper Corsair right out of a book thanks in small part to the red coat he was wearing and a large part due to his prosthetic hook hand, that in his rush he had forgotten to take off, and finally the fact that his weapon was rapier was just the sweet cherry on top. And on the other side stood Tock was also the very image of a scalawag thanks to her tight striped trousers and a corset while she was wielding both a rapier in one hand and a cutlass in the other. For a while both groups just stood there staring right at each other with no one having any idea what to say, except for Nora "Oh my God, you're Pirates!" she declared and with that, any intention of simply slipping away disappeared from the mind of Tock and her crew. After all, it wasn't every day that you met a fellow pirate and at the very least they were going to share some drinks with their "Colleagues."

* * *

Jaune woke up the next day in a hotel room that he did not recognize with a killer hangover but, even then he was able to notice several important details. The first was that he wasn't wearing his prosthetic hook hand which didn't really bother him, at least I finally remembered to take it off before going to bed, but where is it? He couldn't see the arm from where he was laying but he could see his clothes on the floor which led to the second thing that he noticed and it was that he was fully naked, which was odd because he was not someone who usually slept in the nude. However, that was nothing compared to the third thing that he noticed and it was that he wasn't alone. There was a warm arm covered in light green scales resting right on his chest and following the arm he soon found that it belonged to a certain crocodilian Faunus and fellow "Pirate," named Tock and his mind nearly shut down. _Why am I sharing a bed with a professional Huntress!? I must be dreaming! That's the only explanation!_ He then pinched himself and looked again but Tock was still there sleeping happily right next to him and even though she was covered by the blanket he could tell that she was equally naked. _Calm down, Calm down! Just think this through and-!_ Suddenly the arm resting on his chest pulled him closer to the woman who was now embracing him in an unbreakable hug all still asleep and trapping him against her toned body.

There was no escape for him, "Captain's Log... Help."

* * *

**Author's' Notes:** This is a little side project that I would work on whenever I found myself stuck while writing Dead Last. I was originally going to post this story months ago but I got wrapped up in a certain film project and when I did have the time I quickly found that the chapters I had written... were absolute shit. It took awhile to make the changes and in future Author's Notes, I'll explain what the original story was like and why I had to make the changes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes:** Something that I forgot to mention in the last chapter is that the members of Tock's "Crew," are taken from the book Peter Pan, specifically they are names of certain members of Hook's Crew.

* * *

Jaune was scared no, he was beyond merely scared! He was terrified, mortified and possibly even horrified by the situation he now found himself in. Now don't misunderstand the poor lad, waking up in bed with a naked Huntress was not a situation that he or most people would find terrible and in fact he would freely admit that such a situation was something that he had fantasized about in the past and it understandably continued into the present even becoming more frequent since he was now surround by Huntresses. However he was well aware that fantasy and reality were two very different things and his inability to remember just how he got into this situation was making his imagination kick into overdrive as it ran through all myriad explanation of how he got here and of all ways that things could play when she finally awakes, _Maybe I'll get lucky and she'll be cool with the whole thing… but what if she's not? What if she's upset, assumes the worst and decides to break me half?_ Some people would say that he was being ridiculous and he would call those people fools in response, while pointing to the large scythe that his best friend Ruby used as a weapon and dare them to try and lift it. Huntsmen were very strong and whoever this Huntress was, she was much stronger than Ruby, _But maybe I can slip away before she wakes up._

Then she yawned as her eyes began to twitch.

_Of course she's waking up! Of all the moments she could have woken up, of course it would happen while I was trapped in the most compromising position possible! And make it worse the universe doesn't even have the decency to let me remember last night! Okay Jaune, that enough bitching, its time to come up with a plan..._ He drew complete blank._ Oh god! What Am I supposed to do in this situation? Do I help wake her up? Make Breakfast? Flirt? Think Jaune what would Saphron Do? Figure it out before she wakes up! Maybe I can left her arm off of me and slip out! _He carefully lifted his hand, softly grabbed her arm and pulled only to discover that even asleep she was more than strong enough to hold him down, _I'll have to use both arms... _Moving slowly so not to disturb her he lifted his other arm and saw a fleshy stump where his prosthetic should have been, _Shit. _Looking around he soon found that not only was arm was no longer attached to him it was also nowhere in sight, _Guess its time for plan B__._ The next thing she attempted was to just wiggle himself free, he only succeed in looking very silly. His final brilliant gambit never got a chance to shine because that this point the woman began shifting around in the bed as the time of her awakening drew near. In response the poor boy's mind was racing trying to come up with a million different answers at once with each possible solution becoming more elaborate and doomed to fail than the plan that came before it and then... it was too late.

She woke up, looked at him dead straight in the eyes and for a nerve wracking moment she just stared at him as though she was trying to remember something. Then to his relief and confusion she gave him a smile so friendly and flirtatious that he didn't even notice her razor sharp teeth that looked like they belonged in the jaw of some shark, "Well, tap o' th' mornin' tae ye Captain. Pity ah wis drunk, ah wid hae loved tae remember holding ye in mah arms." She then pulled him even closer, gave him a quick peck on the cheek before letting him go and rising from the bed. Naked, sunlight glistening off of her toned athletic body.

He was understandably stunned and in a state of complete disbelief,_ I'm dreaming that what's happening this is just a wet dream and I'll wake up soon... hopefully not too soon,_ he pinched himself and looked at her again and found to his shock and pleasure that she was still there, _I must really be in deep sleep… maybe I should relax and just enjoy this dream._ Perhaps if he wasn't in a state of utter denial he might have had the common sense to try and keep his arousal and embarrassment to himself but he didn't and now he was furiously blushing while pitching a tent in the blankets however, to be fair to the young wannabe pirate it probably wouldn't have mattered even if he had tried to hide it. This was because in one part due to the kiss which while being very chaste was still very encouraging to the boy and then there was the other part, Tock was an active huntsman, which meant that she had a body that was toned to perfection, a body that still shone like a diamond despite her scales and numerous scars, a body that demanded and received his full and undivided attention.

She quickly noticed the lucky boy staring right at her with a look of utter disbelief, she soon saw that his face had turned bright red while his pistol was primed and ready to go… and she honestly found it adorable, "Sae, ye lik' whit ye see?" she asked teasingly while striking a little pose, normally she wasn't one to tease but the thought of his many possible and undoubtedly humorous responses were, making it very difficult not to burst into laughter out of sheer anticipation and under her breath she whispered, "Tis nae often ah git tae tease someone lik' this, though it's a bit mean. Ah will hae mah fun now 'n' mak' it up tae him efter."

"Y… yes," that was all he was able to stammer out, the reality of the situation slowly dawning on him.

Most people would have laughed this off but most people weren't Bounty Hunters or well-practiced in the art of reading people however, Tock was both and she could tell that the cute little pirate was still in the process of waking up which meant that at this moment the boy wouldn't or rather shouldn't be able to lie even if his life was dependent on it, _By th' brothers this guy is completely smitten wi' me,! a'richt, calm doon Tock 'n' mind that yer grandmother didnae raise ye tae be easy, ye hae tae mak' th' laddie wirk a little._ "Awww, that's real sweet o' ye. But, ye dinnae hae tae worry about hurting my feelin's. A'm a big girl efter a," _If a'm recalling right he's a student ower at Beacon. That's gonnae be a connection worth keeping considering whit happened. Hell, he might even be able tae tell me a thing or two about th' particulars nae tae mention that hero types lik' him are handy in a pinch._

"NO! I meant what I said!" He surprised her, and himself, with the sudden outburst and then he kept talking, "Yes I'll admit you're a bit intimidating with your teeth, Mohawk and scales but they only make you look cool! Like the kind of unique sexy badass that you only find in the really good stories! And I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact I woke next to someone like you and I'm upset that I can't remember how it happened because I still can't believe that any of this happened and now I terrified th at I'm ging to fuck this up because I would love to get to know someone like you!" he was now fully awake and now was trying to catch his breath, "Oh, Oh god… did I really just say all that?" The reality of the situation was now hitting him like a stampeding Goliath.

His face turned deathly pale as Tock just silently stood there stunned by his outburst, then she smiled, walked over to him, sat on the bed as she then placed both hands on his shoulders and pulled him in close before she whispered into his ears, "Well then love, th' name is Tock 'n' ah will be spending some time in Vale maybe we kin git to… know each other a' over again, soon. Real Soon." She then let go of Jaune and began to walk away grabbing her stuff but making sure to sway her hips as she did so._ Oh, this is perfect! Ah, will be able tae wrap this cutie around mah finger. He'll be at mah beck 'n' call! Hell even if he doesn't know anythin' worthwhile he'll aye be a fin little… distraction. 'N' when a've hud mah fun…_ Tock then turned around to look back at Jaune who was still incredibly flustered and oh so very tasty looking, _Well, ah suppose thir's no reason how come ex's cannae be mates._ She spun around to give and a little wink when she saw it, a golden glimmer right on his ring finger. At first, she thought she had just imagined it, but then he moved his hand to his face and pinched himself on the cheek and the sunlight began to reflect off of the golden band that was a ring but not just any kind of ring. She could see it now as clear as day, it was a wedding ring and it pissed her off.

Suddenly he felt cold but it wasn't just cold, rather he felt like the entire room suddenly froze over as though some force had sucked all the warmth right out of it and on top of that every fiber of his being began screaming at him to run for his life. The reason for both these things soon became all to apparent when he saw that Tock was glaring right at him with a look in her eyes that screamed bloody murder and she wasn't just looking, she was now walking closer to him with a snarl that showed off all her intimidating teeth that he was finally noticing for the first time. Before he could do anything she closed the distance and grabbed his hand pulling it up to his eyes where he now saw the reason for her ire.

"Sae, 'ere ah thought ye wur a cute wee lamb whin ya wur a wolf th' whole time! Cheating oan yer missus, lik' that! How cuid ye?"

He realized that he needed to say something to try and calm her down before this escalated any further, "What No! I'm not married! Hell, I don't even have a girlfriend! And I can't believe I just said that and I'm sorry but it's true what I'm telling you! I don't have a girlfriend or a wife! Hell, I don't even know anyone who might be interested in me-" Needless to say, his long string of denials only made her angrier.

"Oh, sae ye just wear a bloody wedding band fur kicks 'n' giggles, eh? How stupid dae ye think ah am!?"

_This is it. This is where I die. All because of some stupid ring that somehow made it to my finger. There was so much that I wanted to do like graduate, kick a villain's ass and get a real girlfriend, sail a pirate ship, impress everyone around me… this sucks._ Just when Jaune had all but accepted his death, he saw it. His salvation in the form of a golden band around Tock's ring finger that looked just like the one on his finger, "You're wearing a ring too!"

She let go of his hand and raised her hand into the light and stared at the band on her finger, _A wedding band!? 'n' one that looks just lik' his, does mean that a'm his missus?_ After a few silent seconds she lowered her hand and turned back to face the boy with a scowl still on her face and just stared at him, staring deep into he scared eyes looking for any sign of deception but there was nothing,_ He is either th' best liar a've ever seen in mah life or he is telling me th' truth…_ she then finally relented and backed away from him, "Put oan your pants 'n' help me fin' th' certificate."

"The what?" asked an understandably confused and still admittedly aroused and scared Jaune, _How is it possible to be both horrified and aroused at the same time and by the same thing!? What would you even call this?_

"Th' marriage certificate ye Dolt! Every couple in Vale got one 'n' we're na exception!"

"And if we don't find it?"

"Considering mah luck lately, that wilnae be an issue."

With that Jaune and Tock began searching through the hotel room and were prepared to tear the hotel room apart to find it. Fortunately for the hotel owner, it wasn't long before he found the Marriage Certificate laying right on the kitchen counter in plain sight for all to see, unfortunately for the blond amputee, his prosthetic hook arm was still unaccounted for and it looked like it would remain lost, _Well, at least I still have the spare back in my dorm._ Steeling himself he called Tock over and together the two began to look over the Certificate.

"In the presence of Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie as witnesses, by the hand of Bishop Dr. Gris by the Authority of the Brothers and the council of Vale, these two shall henceforth be united in Holy Matrimony as husband and wife. Therefore they shall now and henceforth be known as Jaune Arc & Tock Arc till death do them part or till the alcohol wears off and this marriage is annulled, whichever comes first."

"Tock… I… am," Jaune didn't know what to say to her, he didn't even know how he felt about the whole thing and it wasn't too hard for him to imagine that she felt just as confused as he did now, however, he knew what he had to do even if he had no idea how to do it. "Tock, I'm… I promise you, I'll make this right. I don't know how but I will make it right by you!"

"Heh, heh. Ha, HA, Ha, HA, HA, HA HA HA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" she was laughing and laughing hard.

Jaune had no idea how to react, frankly he was bewildered by her laughter but at the same time it wasn't the worst thing that could happen since she didn't seem to be angry with him anymore and in fact was using his shoulder to keep herself from literally falling over in laughter. Seeing nothing better to do he decided to awkwardly laugh along with her, "Heh heh heh…," _What is even happening here?_

"Oh, this is hilarious! This is just Perfect!" Tock finally said as she started to calm down a little.

"Perfect!?" Jaune asked, looking at her in complete disbelief, "You may be fine with this but what about me? I woke up in a hotel room that I don't remember going to and waking up married to you! A woman whose name I would have not even known if you hadn't told me earlier! This is a big deal so how are you so okay with this? I'm seriously asking because I'm confused and a little scared right now!"

"Well, ye see hon. Ah wis mad at ye earlier cause ah thought ye hud binn cheating oan yer girl 'n' ah wasn't going tae be yers or a'body's side chick. As fur this whole marriage thing, it ain't a big deal." Tock said with a dismissive and casual attitude that started to grind Jaune's gears but she kept going. "Look, we kin just git th' marriage annulled whenever th' courts reopen. Now a dinnae know about ye bit ah will be staying in Vale fur a bit, sae ah will be thare whin ye'r ready tae end it."

He was surprised but had to admit to himself that Tock was completely right, there was absolutely no reason why they just couldn't get an annulment. It shockingly really was that easy! _Honestly, we're both legal adults who married while under the influence, why wouldn't it be easy to undo it? Hell the marriage certificate even brought up the possibility of an annulment!_"While I'm a student at Beacon so yeah, I won't be going anywhere either," _This feels a little anticlimactic but it is undoubtedly better this way._

"Well ye see, thir's no problem!" she was rather pleased, _A student at Beacon? Weel, he kin nae be a proper Huntsman, bit ah ain't gonnae say no tae an insider in th' Academies. Hell, ah might just scoop him up whin he graduates, a__ssuming he isnae a dumbass or an asshole. _

Jaune, however, suddenly remembered his promise to Ren and the settlement that Team JNPR would have been assisting had the Breach not happened. Shit, that mission isn't going to go away and given the negativity it won't be delayed for very long, I just hope she understands, and so Jaune with just a little bit of nervousness turned to tell her. "I'm not trying to come up with any excuses but you should probably know that there is a mission outside of the walls that my team and I will probably be sent to do and I don't know when we'll leave or when we'll come back."

"That's no problem, in fact, just gimme yer number then we kin just keep each other updated if anythin' comes up, "Tock suggested and Jaune seeing the reasoning behind it agreed. Afterward there were no other surprises as they gathered their things and quickly checked out of the hotel. Upon stepping outside Jaune was surprised but relieved to find that he recognized the neighborhood that he was in and on top of that he still had plenty of time to catch the Bullhead back to Beacon.

"Oh thank god! I thought I was going to be in some real trouble, well I'm still in trouble but it could have been far worse and we never found my missing arm but that's fine," he then turned to look at Tock who had been watching him and trying not to giggle at his reactions and asked her, "Do you need any help, finding your way?"

She chuckled and in a teasing voice answered "Ye, dinnae hae worry about me darlin', ah kin fin' mah wey back just fine. Bit ye shuid be heading back tae yer friends." However before they went their separate ways Tock once again grabbed Jaune and pulled him in close to whisper in his ear, "Dinnae forget love, thare no reason how come ex's cannae be… friendly wi' each other." She held him for a few seconds letting him feel her hot breath on his neck before letting him go and giving him one last smile before walking away. That laddie is wrapped around mah fingers.

It took quite a bit of time but Jaune was eventually able to tear his eyes away from Tock's ass and began to walk back towards the Bullheads. It was time for him to go home and he had a lot to think about.

* * *

Two seconds, that is how long it took Nora to tackle hug Jaune to the floor after he opened the door to JNPR's dorm room. "Oh My God! Jaune where have you Been!?" Nora was now hyper excitedly jumping up and down in the room all while still gripping tightly her team Leader, "We were afraid that you were kidnapped by Pirates! Well, I was afraid the others were like No Nora. 'Those guys were not Pirates, they just happened to be dressed like pirates,' but I knew that they were wrong!"

Then as suddenly as she grabbed him, Nora let him go free from her grip and gravity eagerly reestablished its dominance causing the blond wannabe pirate to fall to the floor with all the grace of a wet noodle, fortunately for him, Ren and Pyrrha were there to help him back up. However, while he was grateful for the two for the assistance he was also worried because he knew that this only meant that now he had nowhere to run when they did ask him about last night. Sure maybe he could lie but he was never good at that sort of thing and he knew that Ren and Nora would see through it automatically, Even If I was the worlds best liar it wouldn't have mattered, they were the witness at my wedding.

"Soooooo, Jaune. Where exactly were you last night?" Pyrrha was asking and she was not going to let go until she got an answer.

"Well um, you see, I was drinking." he said trying to delay long enough for a distraction to occur, _Remember, the best lies have a sliver of truth and besides, it's not like this is a secret that will hurt anyone._

"We all drank. We meant what happened to you afterward." Ren was looking at Jaune strangely and so was Nora.

He looked back at his two teammates with confusion plainly visible on his face, "Guys, what's going on?" If anyone would know what happened last night it would be you two! Unless they also got so drunk that they don't remember anything that happened!

Nora quickly answered confirming his suspicions, "Well Jaune, we are trying to figure out where everyone was last night! I know that Ren and I were together but not together, together. But, I have no idea where we were together! And Pyrrha was missing as well!."

"Not to mention that Ruby came by earlier looking for us, she wanted us to meet her and the rest of her team at the cafeteria once we were ready. They have something they wanted to speak to us all about." Ren added.

Pyrrha raised her hand, "Actually there is one question I can answer. Coco found me last night and insisted on having me stay over in her dorm room for the night."

"Well, that's Boring!" Nora was visibly disappointed and even Ren seemed to be unimpressed.

"Sorry," Pyrrha apologized.

Ren turned to face Jaune once again, "So where were you?"

Jaune thought it over for a moment and decided since the first half-lie worked so well that he would tell another half-lie at least until he was ready to come clean, "I was too drunk to go back to Beacon so I stayed at a Motel Room."

"That was a good idea, Nora and I were also in a motel room, sadly our scrolls were broken so we really won't know what happened until they are fixed," Ren looked contemplative as though he was struggling to remember something and it was making Jaune just a little bit nervous. However he soon gave up apparently deciding that it along with everything else could wait till after breakfast and Jaune was all too happy to agree.

* * *

Beacon's Cafeteria was closed due to the Breach. There was nothing that could have prevented it as most of the staff left to go check on their families and homes instead of coming to work, naturally this meant that many students were forced to go looking for their breakfast somewhere else. For Team JNPR it was fortunate that the common kitchens were still open and stocked with ingredients so after whipping up something quick, they took their meal to the cafeteria where to no one's surprise they found a still tired but standing Team RWBY eating their own freshly cooked meal.

Blake Belladonna was the first to notice the approaching Team JNPR. "Hello, it's… fortunate that you are all here. If it's okay with you all I would like to speak to all of you while we eat."

It was at that moment that Team JNPR noticed the heavy atmosphere around their sister team, something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong, it was clear that RWBY wanted to say something but they just didn't know how to say it and for most of team JNPR, they didn't know how to ask. However, Pyrrha was thankfully able to gather up her courage and just ask the question that everyone was already thinking, "This is about the Breach isn't it?" she and the rest of her team could see the answer in RWBY's eyes, "You've learned something, something huge." Pyrrha was nervous, the entirety of Team JNPR was nervous but, they steeled themselves and sat down for breakfast.

Ruby was worried, but she and the rest of her team had already decided to come out and tell their friends what had happened and why, "They are all connected, the Breach, the White Fang, Roman, the Docks and even the Woman."

"What woman?" Nora asked.

_That's right, they don't know about the woman who broke into CCT Tower during the dance. Ozpin asked me to keep it to myself, but I can see that it was a mistake. One that I won't ever make again!_ Ruby looked at team JNPR and said, "There is a lot that we need to talk about, something bad is going to happen, something worse than the Breach and we all need to get stronger."

Weiss then began to explain, "The dust Robberies were masterminded by Roman Torchwick but then Ruby interfered with one of the robberies which resulted in the men he was using being caught, he then somehow started to work with the White Fang."

Jaune was impressed by what he just heard and he was pretty sure that the rest of his team were impressed as well, "Ruby, you were able to stop Roman Torchwick single-handedly?"

She was a little embarrassed and shook her head, "Actually I stopped his henchmen, Roman chose to escape rather than waste time fighting me. But, the woman I mentioned earlier was there and she helped Roman escape and I'm sure that she was also at the CCT during the dance. I have no idea why she was there but I'm certain that it was something to do with everything that has already happened!"

Now it was Yang's turn, "The thing that you have to understand here is that the Breach wasn't supposed to happen, not yet anyway."

Pyrrha immediately cut in, "How do you know that?"

"The train only started because we showed up. Because we found them, we put them in a situation where they had no choice but to use the train and all the stolen dust earlier then they intended or not at all. Right in front of our very eyes they put their evil plan into motion and we failed to stop them," Yang was clenching her fists in frustration, memories of her defeat playing in her head.

"The woman, whoever she is broke into the CCT tower for a reason but, whatever that reason, it didn't come into play during the Breach. I believe that all of this was preparation for something bigger." Blake was resolute on this belief.

Jaune was suddenly hit with a realization that was crazy to think about but it all made sense and he hoped he was wrong, "The Vytal Festival, that was when it was supposed to happen, I mean... I don't know for sure but, what else could it be? This attack was clearly mean to incite panic and when better to do it than the festival celebrating safety and unity?"

"They are not going to stop just because the Breach was a failure, I… used to be a member of the White Fang." Blake didn't want to say it, but right now the situation didn't care about her wants. "I was fairly high ranking too and I also used to… be involved with Adam Taurus. He's the leader of the Vale Branch of the White Fang and he wasn't on the train but his Lieutenant was and even though the plan failed, Adam won't stop there. I know him far too well and he won't ever let it end like this."

Ruby was the one to wrap it up, "We need to get stronger, all of us. We cannot just hope that the authorities will be able to stop them because so far they haven't been able to even touch them. We need to be able to stop them ourselves if it comes down to it. They are going to attack again and just like Jaune suggested it will probably happen during the Festival. We need to be stronger by then if we want any chance of making a difference this time around."

* * *

Ozpin was sitting alone in his office partially relieved that the Breach was just that, a temporary Breach in the walls that were fixed before much harm had been done. But, it could have been worse and most importantly it should have never happened at all and the fact that it did was what was weighing heavily on his mind_. The peace and stability that I have fought and planned so hard for was nearly destroyed with a single train and to make things worse I have no idea what Salem could be planning next. _The door to his office opened up and an extremely sorry and displeased looking Glynda Goodwitch walked into his office. "Miss Goodwitch, is something the matter?" inquired Ozpin.

"I regret to inform you Sir that the Council of Vale has decided to investigate you for reasons of negligence and incompetence."

"Already? I knew that the Council would soon start pointing fingers but, this is just a little silly." Ozpin had to fight the urge to chuckle.

"Sadly Sir, you know as well as I do just how much they dislike you. The Breach only gave them the excuse to do what they have been wanting to do for years." Glynda sighed, "This couldn't possibly happen at a worse time."

"Well Glynda, perhaps we should consider acquiring some help."

"Do you have any ideas Ozpin?"

"I was thinking about contacting Maria Calavera to see if she has heard of any rumors and maybe help out with security at the festival."

"With all due respect Ozpin, Maria is a bit of a recluse and would be extremely difficult to find even on a good day."

"Ah, but you forget that Mr. Branwen is her biggest fan! On top of that, she was recently seen not too far away from Vale. If she doesn't want to come to Beacon then fine, if nothing else we will know that she is safe and we can inform her that her skills may soon be required."

"Well Sir, I suppose that this is an acceptable first step, but it will not help with the council. You have a lot that you need to be able to account for and there is much that we can't tell them, however we do know that they are going to insist that the Breach could have been avoided." Glynda was focused and her precise mind was already putting together an official explanation for the Breach.

Ozpin took a deep drink from his hot chocolate and when he was done he addressed her concerns, "Unfortunately Glynda they are right, looking back on it the Breach could have avoided entirely but, now we have been informed. Now we know for certain that Salem has or if we are lucky, had a plan. Either one doesn't matter, because we will be ready. Beacon will Stand."

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Oh, Ozpin. If only you knew just how in the dark you are.

Also, did anyone else find it weird that Team RWBY never told JNPR about what was going on? I know that the two teams aren't exactly soulmates but, I would think that Ruby would confide in Jaune.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes:** Fun fact, the whole "Captain's Log," thing was something I came up with just before I uploaded the 1st chapter. The original opening was a flashback montage of the different events that made Jaune what he is in this story, however, I never felt comfortable with it. Then I had the sudden idea for the Journal so I created a second copy of that 1st chapter and replaced the Montage with the Captain's Log and began to compare the two and in all honesty, it wasn't even close. The Journal Entry was so much more organic and it just felt like something Jaune would do.

* * *

Captain's Log:

It almost seems funny now just how insignificant yesterday now feels which is no small feat considering I got married and you don't need me to tell that it is a big deal and yet if Ruby is right and the Breach is just a botched attempt at something worse... What I want to know is, why? What is the purpose of all this? Who benefits from this aimless terror and utter pointless death? I overheard some students suggest that it was another kingdom but none of the other kingdoms have a reason to pick a fight with us, sure the White Fang was at The Breach and according to RWBY, they were the ones operating the train but, Torchwick was there too! This means that the Woman who broke into CCT was also involved in the Breach but why!? I believe that it was something to do with the Vytal Festival but I can't figure out how it fits in or what they are trying to accomplish. All of this feels like some sort of fucking movie except there are actual lives on the line!

Sorry about that, I just needed to vent a little. The truth is that things aren't as bad as I'm making them out to be, Team RWBY already went ahead and informed Ozpin of all their suspicions so I honestly think things will be ultimately okay. However, there is a catch to all of this and it is that whoever is behind this won't go down without a fight and according to RWBY they have some real heavy hitters on their side. We need to get stronger, all of us and especially me, which is the problem. I don't know how much stronger I can reasonably get given the time we have, sure I have been practicing with Pyrrha and the others but we use completely different weapons! There's Weiss but her Rapier uses dust whereas mine doesn't, not to mention her style of swordplay is something I could never replicate unless I studied Sigils and that takes time that we don't have. I've even considered asking Dove since his sword while different isn't that far off from mine... as long as you don't pay attention to the gun attached to his and even without that difference I'm not sure how much I'm able to learn from someone afraid to hurt me, even though I have aura.

It's just so frustrating sometimes.

* * *

Jaune put down his journal and briefly scanned his dorm room to look at his teammates who were busy planning out their training sessions as well as considering some ways to potentially improve their weapons, all which were things they were already planning to do for the Vytal Festival but now it was so much more urgent. He himself already had some ideas on what to focus on during team training but had no idea on what he ought to in regards to his own training regime and as for improving his weapon, that was something even harder to try and work out. Unlike most Huntsmen his Rapier wasn't something that had been built from the ground up specifically for him, his Rapier was just a nameless sword that he found by chance in the attic back home. On top of that when he found the weapon he nearly threw it back in the pile because he thought it was some sort of glorified prop, an accessory that was meant to be worn and seen but never used. It wasn't until Jasmine, one of his older sisters noticed that the sword was rather heavy and strangely built for rapier and got curious, it took her some research but as it turns out the weight was due to both the material used and reason for the odd shape was because it was never meant to kill people. The sword had been built to pierce right through the hide of whatever Grimm that stood before it even if it had to work through some of the boney armor first, it was a weapon built to stab through armor however, that dedication to piercing power meant that the blade struggled with slashes even on a good day and that a built-in gun was simply out of the question. He couldn't remember who suggested it, but he and Jasmine did and still do believe that somewhere in the attic was some sort of companion piece for the sword, a partner that would make up for the Rapier's limitations but, they never found it.

Then suddenly an odd thought crept into his head,_ Wait a second! Haven't I seen another sword just like mine recently?_ He thought it over for a bit trying to recall just where he saw it and it didn't take him very long to remember, _It was at the Breach. We had just found a small hoard of Grim in an alleyway and while we were fighting them another group came out to help us. Tock had a rapier and she wasn't using dust or a gun of some sort maybe... she could teach me. It wouldn't hurt to ask, not mention she seemed rather eager to get to know me better..._

"Hey, guys I'm going to step outside for a bit," with that he stepped into the hallway of Beacon and after checking to see if anybody was close by he called Tock.

* * *

With a yawn Tock took Jaune's missing prosthetic arm, that for some reason was in her bag, and used it to scratch a certain itch on her back, something the hook appendage was really good at, as she walked around the dirt-cheap motel room, emphasis on dirt but owner didn't ask questions and knew how to keep their mouth shut, that for the near foreseeable future was home for her and her crew. Now Tock wasn't normally one to complain but today was one of the most boring days in her recent memory and it was for a variety of reasons. The first and more obvious was the insanity of the two previous days which made this one feel empty in comparison but that was just the start. What happened the day the wall failed could not be ignored and so her crew had left to "politely," ask their "agent," some questions about their last employer and they had asked her to stay behind.

She wasn't trapped in the motel, in fact, there was nothing at all standing between her and the door, nothing except professionalism and damn common sense. With Anti-Faunus sentiments at an all-time high, someone like her walking around in the open was just asking for unwanted attention and even if she could somehow avoid harassment the fact remains that reptile Faunus like her were not a common sight in Vale making her stand out too much to be ignored or easily forgotten. Until a disguise of some sort could be made, she would just be a liability, she couldn't go outside because lest their old employer finds her, there was nothing to read or watch on TV and she couldn't even train thanks to a lack of space and the huge can of worms that would be opened up if someone spotted a Faunus like her carrying weapons. _By th' Brothers am ah bored!_

Suddenly there was a small but noticeable sound which caught her immediate attention, it was the text alert on her scroll which sadly meant that it couldn't be anything important, perhaps just a small update from her crew or even spam. Either way, it was a welcomed distraction from the absolute nothing that had been her day so far and then she saw that the sender was Jaune and suddenly her dull boring day just got a teeny weenie bit more interesting, _Ah knew he'd come back bit ah didnae expect him this soon. Ah, mist hae something right if he cannae git me out o' his head._ With that thought, she opened up her scroll and began to read the message.

"Hey Tock! Are You Busy?"

She briefly considered flirting with the guy but decided that it wouldn't hurt to play a little hard-to-get, nothing major though, just enough to make her cute little lover boy want to try a little harder. So she typed up a quick reply, "Nah, I'm not busy right now. But I'll be busy soon so ya better tell me now." She walked over to the kitchen while waiting for his response.

"That's no problem I just wanted to ask you a question."

Tock rolled her eyes just a little at Jaune's lack of subtlety. _O' course, a'd git asked out oan a date afore tis safe fur me tae venture out. Well, a'd guess ah will hae tae settle fer some plain talking though maybe ah kin git him tae say something about th' breach. _With that in mind, she quickly typed back, "Ask away." As she waited, she poured some water into a cup and placed it in the microwave before turning it on.

"Could you give me tips on how to better use a rapier?"

_Huh? Well ah didnae expect that. Though ah suppose tis nice tae know that he wis starin' at something other than mah ass. Pity, we didnae meet under different circumstances._ "So, trying to get some training in for the Vytal Festival?" She messaged back as she searched the cabinets for a tea bag eventually finding one all the way in the back.

"Yeah, I'm honestly not very good."

Tock paused for a second wondering what to type as she waited for the tea to steep. On one hand, she was bored as hell and so far Jaune was incredibly fun to tease not to mention there if there was any possibility that he knew something about the Breach that she didn't, then it was a possibility worth investigating. But, on the other hand was the fact that she stood out far too much,_ A wouldnae be able tae hae fin teasing him just now bit, maybe efter whin ah hae a change o' outfits, ah will be able tae lea this room. Fur now, ah will link him tae some videos. Ah, kin train him after ah git a disguise._ After she was done with that an idea began to form in her head. A sinister insidious idea, one that would help out her cute little "Husband," and at the same time root her so deeply into his mind that he would become mad with lust just thinking about her. He would become so desperate that he'd gladly do anything she asked,_'N' that wid leid tae a' sorts o' fin! Bit first ah will need Cecco tae buy a few hings tae mak' this work. Now, where kin ah fin' th' tightest yoga pants?_

* * *

Being a school that existed primarily to train Huntsmen meant that there was never an excuse not to become stronger in whatever way you needed to regardless of your preferred method of combat. It was one of the things that made four Major academies stand out from the numerous smaller schools who had to choose to focus on certain methods of combat over others, such as Aura manipulation over Dust usage and vice versa. However, right now Jaune was using the one Facility that every single school no matter how small possessed: An arena. However, he was not sparring with anyone at the moment but rather he was carefully watching the videos Tock had sent him and repeating everything on them.

"Alright now that we have the stance down, let's start with a basic thrust," The instructor in the video then demonstrated the move by slowly performing it, stopping now and then to direct the viewer's attention to whatever detail he deemed important. Once he completed the thrust he did another one but at full speed to show what the true move looked like when perform for real, the process was repeated several times and was shown from different angles to help the viewer better understand how to do it.

Jaune already knew how to do a proper thrust, it was something that Pyrrha showed him how to do, however, it quickly became crystal clear to the swashbuckler that weapon differences had a bigger impact than he originally thought. Sure she had taught him to thrust but, where her feet were and how the weapon was held as well as the angles of attack and defense were all meant for her and the weapon she was using, he wasn't Pyrrha and didn't use the same weapon as her which meant that he needed to stop trying to fight like her. He needed to go back to basics and learn how to fight in a manner that was best for himself and this thrust felt more fluid and more lethal than any ones he had done in the past making the practice a very good start but that was all it was, the beginning of a long journey that would likely never end. The video continued and so did he continued practicing and repeating various different moves and stances for the next few hours.

"Hey Jaunyboy, what's up?" Cardin Winchester asked as he walked into the room with his partner and best friend Russel Thrush, many would look at this over sized linebacker of a teen and his Mohawk sporting partner and simply assume them to be troublemakers and bullies, which they most certainly were. However, as it turns out, even a bully like Cardin had limits and apparently considered bullying an amputee to be well over those limits. Now do not misunderstand, Jaune was not close with Cardin or anyone in Team CRDL, but they weren't hostile either. They were more like acquaintances or better yet colleagues and either way since both Cardin and Russel were here to train, maybe they could help him train.

"Oh hey Cardin, Russel! Are you guys also here to train?" Jaune asked, already knowing the answer.

Russel was the one to speak up first, "Well me and Cardin are trying to work up a bit of a sweat, see if we can't impress some of the visiting students. If you understand what I mean," Russel said with a sly wink and a fist bump from Cardin.

Jaune was Gobsmacked,_ The city is still only beginning to recover from the attack and they are more interested in picking up chicks than helping!?_

"Hey Jaune, are you okay? You seem upset," said Cardin with a worried look on his face.

"Yeah, are you feeling well?" Russel chimed in.

_Calm down Jaune, you are being unfair to them. They don't know what you know, they are just trying to return to normalcy, just like you would be trying to do if RWBY hadn't opened up to you._ He forced himself to take a deep breath before facing them, "Sorry guys, my team got nominated to enter the Vytal Festival and I'm really stressed out about it and I'm-!"

"You're afraid that you are going to let everyone down," Cardin finished for him. "But Jaune, listen to me, It doesn't matter who the strongest person on the team is, it doesn't matter if you can't keep up with them-"

Jaune grit his teeth when he heard that last part but, thankfully neither of the two members of CRDL noticed his discomfort.

"-because you don't have to. Forget what Movies, Comic Books and even Mangas say. The Captain of a team isn't chosen for their strength, they are chosen because they can bring the group together because they can plan, improvise and lead them to victory." Cardin finally finished.

_And all that leadership and planning won't mean shit if the captain gets taken out early or can't save his teammates because he's too weak to make a difference!_ Jaune wanted to shout at Cardin to tell him just how sick he was of people only looking at the empty sleeve and treating him differently because of it, he got into Beacon damn it! Sure he lied to get in but, he still managed to pass initiation and more importantly stay in despite having one arm! _I don't want people to make excuses for me, I want them to acknowledge me as a huntsman and hold me to the same standards as everyone else! If I make a mistake then call me out on it instead of making excuses for me!_ But, he didn't, not out of cowardice but rather because all it would do is start an argument that wouldn't make a difference. Instead, Jaune looked Cardin straight in the eyes and said, "Thanks man, It means a lot to me to hear you say that." _I honestly couldn't care less about what you think._

"Any time Jauney boy."

"Well Cardin, Russel, I would love to stay and train with you guys but, I've already been here for longer than I meant to. Good luck with your training." With that Jaune grabbed his things and left the room before Cardin or Russel could say anything else and before he did something that he would regret.

* * *

It has been a few days, a few of the most boring days of Tock's whole Fucking life seriously if she had to spend one more day in this shitty hotel room she going to break down the door, walk over to the nearest bar and get herself some goddamned Turf n' Surf with a beer to go with it. Fortunately for the door, Cecco came through it bearing news to give his Captain as well as a bag, "Oi, Tock I got some good news and some bad news."

"Gimme th' bad first."

"Alright but promise me ya won't throw a fit."

"Ye guys cannae fin' anythin' 'n' a'm aff tae be stuck in this shitty nook?"

"Well the first part is right on, but you don't have to stay hidden no more!" Cecco then tossed Tock the bag which she opened to reveal a Hoodie, the yoga pants she asked for, a sports bra she didn't ask for but appreciated, and a few other various articles of clothing.

"Finally! Ah thought ah wid gang mad bein' cooped up fur days 'ere!" Tock took the clothes and walked into the bathroom to change.

Cecco called after her, "Perhaps you should give that hubby of yours a call and have some fun! Maybe even a private tutoring session!"

"Cecco, ah lik' yer thinking."

"Well, it was Turley's idea. See, he doesn't think that your boy toy knows anything but, he agreed since reason one, it doesn't hurt to ask and reason two, the backup could come in handy."

"Sae he wanted me tae seduce th' fellow?

"Just remember to use protection, Captain"

There was a palpable silence between the two..."hahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" That erupted into sincere laughter.

"Oh, Cecco. A'm needin' that, oh god was a'm needin' that."

"Any time captain, any time."

* * *

"Come to the Pit over on 9th street and 27th avenue at 1 pm and bring your weapon and some workout clothes and something to wear afterwards, we are going to sweat."

That was the text that was waiting for Jaune when he woke up bright and early this morning, ready to face whatever the day could throw at him! Granted he hadn't included a long, hard, sweaty training session with Tock,_ Get your mind out of the gutter!_ as a part of his original plans but he most certainly was not going to complain especially since a veteran Huntress was taking time out of her doubtlessly busy schedule to help him master his sword. Granted he would have to reschedule a few things to meet up with Tock but, _The others will understand, We all need to get stronger and this is going to help me do just that. After all and if I am stronger than the others won't have to worry about me while we fight and I'll be able to actually help everyone else. It's a Win-Win!_ Nevertheless, there was another far less noble reason why he was so eager to come and it was because he found Tock to be as Hot as the Fires of Hell itself and it wasn't just for her body, the way she moved, her voice, the way she spoke, acted towards him and how she just took command! It was honestly all too much for him, not that you would ever catch him complaining.

But no matter what his reason was, it didn't change the fact that it would ultimately result in good so with that in mind Jaune did as instructed and was now standing in front of a dilapidated building with a old broken sign labeling it as the "Pit," Why would she want to meet in a place like this? He briefly wondered if this was a good idea but quickly dismissed such thoughts as unjustified paranoia on his part after all, There is no one who in their right mind would want to hurt a Huntsman, not while the city is still recovering from a Grimm attack. So, with that reassurance, he entered the Pit and soon discovered to his immense surprise what appeared to be a Gym of some sort judging by the various exercise equipment that was arranged in the room in a surprisingly organized and welcoming manner. There were not many people inside the gym but the ones that were there all had this sort of dangerous edge to them and few looked at him with annoyance and one even got up and began moving towards him . He tensed himself preparing for a confrontation with this stranger but just when it looked like he was going to say something he along with everyone else saw the empty sleeve and even the most dangerous-looking of them seemed to soften up a little with the stranger turning around and returning to his work out.

Most people would have been relieved that nothing had happened but Jaune hated it and to make it worse, on a logical level he knew that he was being unfair to them after all, _They probably thought I lost the arm during The Breach, a fellow victim just trying to get one with their lives, Or maybe they just think I'm not worth their time!_ It was an unfair and illogical assumption but, that was just how he felt at that moment.

"Awright, love! Ower 'ere!" Tock's voice snapped him back to reality as he realized that her voice was coming from the back of the gym and so he followed it the and found her standing in front of a suspicious reinforced steel door while she dressed in a rather loose long-sleeved white hoodie with the hood up, Makes sense considering how Faunus aren't rather beloved these days, as well as some very well-fitting black yoga pants that almost seemed built with intention to show off the wearer's legs, thighs, and ass. The more he looked at it the more certain he became that he could make out the definition of her leg musc- "Sae, ah tak' it ye'r an ass man? or maybe ye'r imagining yer head atween mah thighs."

"Wha- What!?" Jaune wasn't even aware that he was staring at her legs and before he could form a proper response aka lie to save his honor, Tock let out a lovely chuckle and opened the steel door behind her and walked in the room while motioning for him to follow her. Once inside it became abundantly clear that this new room was some kind of arena, a place where people could fight or simply talk in complete privacy, I don't even want to imagine what some people used this room for.

Tock then pointed to a corner of the room, "Juist drap whit ye dinnae need ower thare 'n' git ready darlin'. Today a'm aff tae mak' ye a man," she slowly licked her lips as she said that last part.

Jaune was nervous as all bloody hell and it wasn't because of Tock flirtations, though that was a part of it. The real reason was because he'd seen Tock fight once before and it was brutal, a near complete opposite of Weiss's elegance. But most importantly it lacked any Dust, any ranged weaponry and as far as he could tell she didn't even use a Semblance which meant that he could copy her. Sure there were differences such as the fact that she dual wielded but these were still moves that he could learn and perform. He could stop being dead weight, But what if she decides that there is no point in teaching me? Sure, she doesn't like the kind of person who'd up and leave me on my own. _But, then again I don't know this woman… who I married while drunk. Dear lord have I made some terrible, but sexy, life decisions._

"Dearie, are ye ready?" Tock playfully called out to Jaune bringing him out of his thoughts and back to the training session at hand. So he turned around to face her and his jaw nearly hit the floor thanks to what he saw her wearing or rather what she wasn't wearing. All Tock did was take off the Hoodie revealing a white sports bra underneath however, it also gave him a good look at his wife's body which was something he didn't get to enjoy back at the hotel due to the circumstances. But here and now there was nothing else on his mind to distract him from her incredibly fit and toned body which was on full display for him and him alone and him alone and then the mood did a complete 180 when she pulled out both her Rapier and Cutlass while smiled at him revealing her large and very sharp teeth which promised nothing but pain, it was a smile that said "I'm gonna fuck you up," and not in a fun way. However for some odd reason Jaune's libdio didn't die when confronted with his fear but rather it combined with it and for the first but, not the only time in his life he would experience what is known as.

The Fear Boner.

* * *

Jaune was on the ropes though that wasn't a surprise, he knew from the beginning that Tock was a much better fighter than him, it was why he wanted her to teach him in the first place but what he didn't expect was how dirty of a fighter she was and just how effective her techniques could be. Frankly it was all rather fascinating but as much as he would like to admire her style it would have to wait till after they were done and he wasn't anywhere closed to finish just yet. Tightening his grip on the Rapier he got back into form just in time for Tock to bum rush him, the first time she had done this he was caught woefully off-guard and had been slammed into the floor but this time he was ready and attempted a jab at her, not a full-powered thrust like some fools would have done but a simple and quick jab. It was a safe move that used Tock's own speed against her and could have won him the fight right then and there if he had been fighting someone whose Aura was still locked, Tock was a different story altogether. She didn't dodge the jab completely, there was no way she could have and even if she could she didn't need to, she was more than happy to accept a glancing blow on her arm because she returned the favor with a shoulder tackle. Jaune was knocked back but not knocked down however it didn't matter as Tock took the opportunity to deliver a powerful skull rattling pommel strike to his head taking out his Aura and leaving him laying on the floor in defeat.

"Well, ah think that's enough fur th'day, howfur ye feeling love?" she asked while helping him back up.

"Honestly, I'm feeling inspired… and pain, lots of pain."

Tock was genuinely surprised, "Inspired? Ah, haven't heard that one afore. Sure, yer nae kind o' masochist?"

He couldn't help but chuckle a little, "The thing is, I've been struggling on how to best use my weapon. Against Grimm I'm okay, it's just a case of stabbing the right spot but, against…," he was trying to figure out the best way to word it with giving anything away, he didn't think Tock was working for whoever was behind the Breach but, _better safe than sorry._

"Yi'll want tae know howfur tae beat doon someone wha has aura," Tock was looking at Jaune's face studying it for any sign of confirmation and she saw it, a brief moment of surprise that he quickly tried to force down. _He knows something, well Tock, you better choose your next words dead carefully or maybe you don't have to. maybe it's about time for a change of subject. Don't wanna press too hard and scare him away,_ "Ye know, dear, a'm sort o' disappointed that ye didnae use that hook o' yers. Ah mean juist think aboot it, tis just begging tae be used."

Jaune looked at Tock with a confused look on his face. "You want me to use my Hook as a weapon?"

"Wel nae as it's right now, ya gowk. Ye wid hae tae modify it, bit it wid be a huge favor tae yersel'."

"Tock You Beautiful Genius! That's It!" he couldn't believe what a massive idiot he was being, the prosthetic was useless as it was, but it didn't have to be. Sure he didn't have the know-how to build a weapon from scratch, but Ruby Rose was his best friend and she was a weapon Nut!_ Oh! To think that the answer was right there in front of me the whole time! Oh, wait... I already lost one of my arms. Dammit, I can't spare the one I'm using._

"Awright, babe, catch!" she threw something at him that he quickly snatched out of the air and examined it, it was his missing arm. "Ah found it in mah stuff, I guess it git mixed in while we were on our honeymoon. Tak' care nae tae lose again," she explained as they left to wind down for a bit before starting again once Jaune's Aura recovered a little.

* * *

It was night by the time he made it back to Beacon so despite wanting to start on his sidearm project right away that he wisely decided to sleep on it and that he would tell Ruby about his idea tomorrow. Either way, he still didn't know how he was going to weaponize the arm, _Maybe a hidden blade or maybe a hidden pistol, though how effective would either be?_ Making his way to his dorm room he took note of how life was already starting to move past the Breach, classes would resume soon, business as usual would shortly return to Vale and Team JNPR would be given a chance to start and finish that mission to the village. Most likely by the time they came back, the rest of the city would return to normal and he and Tock could get their marriage annulled... That last thought made him feel strange, he couldn't say that he loved Tock. He appreciated her teaching him and he did enjoy the time they spent together but she was still a stranger in many ways.

He then spotted Pyrrha sitting just outside of their room, dressed in her pajamas. "Hey, Pyr. Why are you sitting here instead of sitting inside? Were you worried about me?"

"Actually Jaune, It's Ren and Nora," Pyrrha looked tired.

Jaune was growing worried, Did something happen to them?

Pyrrha read the look on Jaune's face and answered the question that she knew was running through his mind. "Ren and Nora have been talking about things, The Breach was an eye-opening experience for them and the idea that someone beyond the White Fang could be behind it really scared them. So they started talking…"

"RIGHT THERE! RIGHT FUCKING THERE! YESSSSSSSSS! OH SWEET GOD REN! HARDER!" Nora shouted from the other side of the door.

"And now they are Together Together," A very tired and sleepy Pyrrha answered.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: **This chapter was for some reason or another was at one point the hardest thing I've ever written in my life and I don't even know why! It's just for some reason I kept drawing a blank whenever I sat to write which was frustrating but, it was thanks to that writer's block that I became aware of a major problem with this story which made me rewrite the whole thing from the ground up. Sure the release was delayed by months but let me tell you that if you think this story sucks now! The previous version was a Black Hole from where no Light or Hope could ever escape.

* * *

Pacing around her Beacon dorm room was an irritated Cinder Fall and it is important to clarify that she was irritated, not upset. Getting upset was, in her objectively correct opinion, a childish response that was beneath someone as mature and intelligent as her, irritation, on the other hand, was a reasonable reaction in the face of the utter failures of the past few days. It was bad enough that he Breach happened far ahead of schedule which resulted in the derailing most of her meticulous plans and forcing her to start looking through a myriad of backup plans till she had one that might work but add insult to injury the "Tragedy of the Century," was resolved before the day was even remotely close to being done. Quite frankly the only thing that went according to plan was Roman getting himself arrested so at least she had that and then came a phone call from Hazel "Bleeding Heart" Rainart!

"What do you want Hazel?" she demanded. _I do not have time for this._

"An agent of mine contacted me earlier and informed me of a potential complication involving your plan," He answered calmly, not even the least bit annoyed by her tone of voice which did not help improve her attitude.

"Please get to the point or stop wasting my time!"

"Very well, I am now sending you a file containing the profiles of four individuals. Though the real threat is their leader, a woman named Tock, no known last name, whose semblance is 60 seconds of complete invincibility."

For a moment Cinder was completely silent as she tried to process what she just heard, _That's Bullshit!_ "You cannot be serious right now, Hazel!"

"Very serious which is why you need to pay attention, several months ago I hired these bounty hunters to go after a silvered eyed warrior and they succeeded at their mission. The problem, however, is that afterward for reasons I do not know they went to Vale and got caught up in the Breach. They survived and according to my agents, they are looking for anyone connected to the attack and this is where things get difficult for you."

"How exactly does it get worse?" she was going to pop a blood vessel if things kept piling up.

"Salem wishes to recruit Tock and has decided that you are the most qualified for the task, however your original mission is what takes priority here. Salem will understand if it proves necessary to kill her but would strongly prefer it if a diplomatic solution can be found."

"Hazel... why am I cleaning up after your mess?"

"I apologize, this is not a burden I wished to place upon you so to help you with this task, I am sending some hired hands to help you. They have already been paid and they do not ask questions nor do you have to meet them. They will allow you to find and negotiate with Tock without exposing yourself and should things come to it, simply send them a message and they will make sure Tock and her crew are arrested, good luck Cinder," Hazel then hung up.

Exhausted, Cinder dropped the scroll and allowed herself to fall on the couch behind no longer caring anymore to even try to keep up her carefully crafted image of high-class nobility, right now what she wanted most in this world wasn't a glass of expensive wine but rather a can of cheap beer and a whole pack of cigarettes. Meanwhile her minions Emerald and Mercury were close by and doing their best to stay out of Cinder's way as experience has painfully taught them to do whenever she got into this sort of mood, however, they couldn't simply leave the room either as they also learned the hard way that being caught trying to escape would be far worse.

"Alright you two, thanks to Hazel we have a potential problem that needs to be fixed right away," Cinder then picked up her scroll from the ground and forwarded the files of Tock and her crew to both Emerald and Mercury.

The two rarely agreed on anything but after skimming through the files they found themselves to be in total agreement over how unimpressed they were, "But, why do they matter, Mistress?" Emerald cautiously spoke up. " As far as I can tell these guys are just hired thugs sticking their noses into something far out of their league."

"You're right that most of them don't matter but, their leader is different." Cinder answered without even looking at Emerald.

"How bad could one knucklehead be?" the ever arrogant Mercury asked.

"Her semblance makes her invincible," answered Cinder.

"Th- That's just bullshit," Mercury was stunned and now mercifully silent.

Emerald however just saw her opportunity to boast, "I could take her."

Mercury glared at this partner and opened his mouth to shoot back however Cinder put a quick end to that mess, "And risk revealing ourselves for no gain and at the cost of going against Salem's wishes? No, what we are going to do instead is use a third party to extend an olive branch to those bounty hunters and clean up this mess diplomatically."

"And if they try something?" Mercury asked with a sinister smirk.

"Then you will do nothing, none of us will have to. Hazel, since this was originally his mess, has already made some arrangements in case all this backfires. So, let me make this very clear to you both, do not expose us. If you happen to see any of them in public then you will report to me and we proceed in whatever way I choose to proceed. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" They both said in unison.

* * *

Pyrrha was currently alone in JNPR's dorm room and was in the middle of a rather interesting book on the subject of Dust and the many methods created to utilize it when she heard the ringing of a scroll, so she put the book down and reached for her scroll only to find that it was not the one ringing. After a quick scan of the room she found a scroll on the desk from where the ring was coming from however she had no idea who it belonged to, _Did Ren or Nora forget to bring it with them before leaving to train? No, it can't be, I saw them pack before they left and neither one forgot. _That only left Jaune as the scroll's owner and he was currently in the shower, this left her in a bit of an odd situation as she wasn't sure if she should answer it but nowadays she couldn't discount the possibility that he might be missing a rather important or urgent call, _I should answer it just to be safe._ Her mind made up, she grabbed the scroll and answered, "Hi, Jaune's in the shower can I take a message?"

"Aye, ye kin dear, kin ye ask him whin he'll be available?"

"Available?" Pyrrha didn't recognize the voice, though she could tell this woman seemed to know Jaune. _I don't think he has ever mentioned anyone with an accent as heavy as hers's but then again this is his business, not mine. _Taking a moment to listen she could hear that her partner was beginning to rinse himself off, "He should be available before too long."

"Cheers dear, th' thing is that ah git mah night free 'n' ah wanted tae know if he wanted tae go out an ave a bit of fun?" the woman explained.

"O... Out!?" Pyrrha's mind was now in a state of shock.

"Oan a date, love. Ye'v bin oan them afore right ?"

"Of course I've been on dates before! I've been on plenty of dates!" she was now just blurting things out.

"Suuuure ye hae, ah believe ye."

Pyrrha couldn't see the woman's face but somehow just somehow she knew that whoever it was smirking at her, either way, she was done being on the backpedal. "I'm sorry but, who even are you, and how do you know Jaune?" she demanded while trying to make herself sound as authoritative as possible though to what ends she wasn't really sure.

"Th' name's Tock 'n' ye'll hae tae ask yer dear captain about th' exact nature o' our… re-la-tion-ship."

She was about to say something that she was going to regret but thankfully Jaune stepped out of the shower wearing his school uniform and was feeling refreshed and ready to take on whatever challenges the day could throw at him! Then he noticed that his partner was holding his scroll, "Hey, Pyrrha! I thought I heard my scroll ring, did someone happen to call me while I was in the shower?"

"Ya, um here you go," Pyrrha was a little reluctant to give Jaune back his scroll thanks to the less than flattering first impression she now had of the mysterious woman but gave it to him anyway,_ I have some questions for you Mister! _She then went back to reading her book but now her attention was split between the pages and listening for when Jaune would be finished with the conversation.

"No, I won't be able to go then, I have to meet with a professor… Oh! Now that works!... Alright, so I'll meet you at the Crossing by the Station? No? Do you want to meet at the station itself? Alright, I'll see you then! What? What do you… oh my!" with that Jaune hung up.

Pyrrha did not waste a single second and turned to face her partner who was now blushing so hard she nearly mistook him for a tomato, "Jaune! Are you alright?" she didn't wait for him to answer before walking over to him and placing a hand on his forehead, _It's not a fever so that's okay but then what's wrong with him? Wait? Is he blushing? Who is this woman and why hasn't Jaune mentioned her before? _She then looked away from Jaune to take a moment to clear her head, _Be reasonable, and don't jump to conclusions. Just ask him. _She then turned back to Jaune who was also trying to calm himself down.

"Jaune, I want you to be honest with me," She looked at while trying her best to imitate the same stern look her mother would give to her whenever she did something wrong, _Hopefully, I'm doing this right. _"That woman, Um, are you… Um, well I was wondering if… Well, you see Jaune…"

While Pyrrha was making a fool of herself Jaune was also making a fool of himself as he attempted to explain the whole conversation away without giving Pyrrha the wrong idea or the right one. "Ah, you mean Tock! Well um, Pyrrha, Tock is ah um… what you would call a friend… ly? No, Let me start over."

"Pyrrha wants to know the nature of your relationship with Tock," spoke the calm collected voice of Ren.

Jaune and Pyrrha responded with a very simple, clear, and completely appropriate

"**SWEET VELVETY BROTHERS ON HIGH!"**

"WOULD YOU TWO PLEASE SHUT UP!" screamed Weiss who was now standing at the door sporting a glare that dropped the overall temperature of the room by several degrees and that was before she even entered the said room that soon changed and the temperature dropped another few degrees as she stepped inside. She gave a stern look at all of them as though she was trying to either figure out who the culprits were or freeze to death with the power of a vindictive glare, "What were you two even talking about?"

"Pyrrha was asking Jaune about his relationship with a Huntress by the name of Tock," Ren answered completely unaffected by Weiss' angry stare.

"That's right! We only screamed because Ren surprised us!" Jaune answered but then he realized something, _What is he even doing here, and how does he know that!?_ So he just asked, "Okay I thought you and Nora said that you couldn't remember what happened that night because you were drunk so how do suddenly that Tock was a Huntress? Also, I thought you went out with Nora!? When did you get back!?"

"Actually, Nora said that we couldn't remember where we went, who we met is another story and we met Tock the same time you did remember? Me, Nora, and Pyrrha were there with you when you first met her and her crew during the Breach. Later Pyrrha left with Coco and Nora and I then joined you in getting a few drinks with Tock and her crew. I don't remember anything else after that, as for why I'm here is because I accidentally forgot my wallet and came back to get it," he said while holding up the aforementioned wallet.

"Why do you keep saying, crew?" asked Weiss who was still rather visibly upset.

"She dresses like a pirate, which I suppose is why she and Jaune hit it off so well," Ren answered once again with a voice so calm and steady that everyone had no choice but to accept it as truth.

"And this Woman? What's been going on between you?" Pyrrha finally asked.

If nothing else Jaune knew this one important fact about life: The Best Lies have a Little Truth in them. "Tock has been sparring with me as a way of thanking me for the assistance back during the Breach. She also recently gave me this incredible idea for a weapon that I was going to ask Ruby for help with."

"Oh, is that all? Well, that's nice of her." Pyrrha said with a fake smile. _Tock said that she and Jaune were going on a date, was she lying? But why lie to me? Is Jaune lying… well, he has improved but, that doesn't necessarily mean that there isn't anything more going on._

"Well I'm going to go talk to Ruby about this idea, do you know where I can find her Weiss?" Jaune inquired.

"Ruby is with Penny down at the Forge," Weiss answered.

* * *

"Okay, Penny what do you think of these?" Ruby then produced a set of blueprints for a large gun-like weapon and showed it to her friend. Penny's eyes glowed for a brief moment and a green light emerged from her pupils and ran over the blueprints scanning them. When the scan was done she then closed her eyes and began running the calculations in her head and after only a second or two Penny reached into her back and pulled out a printed sheet of numbers.

"Well friend Ruby, according to my calculations there is a 64.4879478% chance that this weapon will blow up in our face instead and only a flat 15% chance that it will work. Would you like me to go through the other percentages?" she said with a smile.

"No, you don't have to." Ruby put the blueprints away, "Awww man, I wanted to make a real hand cannon! It would have been so cool!" She then made a finger gun and began dramatically posing to emphasize her point, suddenly the door opened and Jaune walked in.

"Ruby I-!"

"BANG!"

In an act of supreme treachery Ruby had spun around and pointed her imaginary hand cannon at Jaune and with a vicious smile shot him for no reason other than pure bloodlust! He fell to the floor and weakly raised his arm to his once best friend now an enemy and asked, "Et Tu, Ruby?" Even the strength to keep his arm raised soon left his body and just before the cold darkness could take him he turned to the only person that he could trust in that room "Penny, please tell my wife that… I love her," and with one last dramatic gasp of air, he passed from this world.

"I will do my best Friend Jaune! Yet please understand that I do not have Mrs. Arc's number on file however, I do have her image and basic information on file so I will attempt to find her to deliver your final words to her," Penny replied with a smile.

Ruby gave a cute laugh and turned to Penny with a big smile on her face, "Wow! I didn't expect you to go along with this," she then turned back to look at Jaune whose face had gone pale and now had a look of complete abject horror on it.

"How… How did you know?" he asked.

"It was a simple task to search through public records in order to find your spouse's information though it is rather sparse which suggests that she was born and raised in a settlement. Also while it is none of my business I must say that I find it rather commendable that you were able to redeem her through the power of love," she answered plainly.

"Power of love!?" asked a fully bewildered Jaune and Ruby.

"Is that not how it usually works in stories? A heroic and sexually desirable protagonist and an equally attractive member of the antagonistic faction fall into lust and through a variety of logically contrived events helped along by a large dosage of questionable ethics the protagonist redeems the physically attractive antagonist ultimately convincing them to switch sides all through the power of love!" Penny clearly explained.

Ruby is the first to recover "Wait! Wait! Wait! Penny, are you telling me that Jaune is married?"

"You did not know?" Penny asked rather surprised before turning to Jaune "I apologize if you wanted to be the one to tell them."

"Jaune! Why didn't you tell me? When did this happen? Where? Who? Is it Pyrrha? Is that why she has been acting weird lately? Wait no! She isn't a villain, is it... Weiss?" and the questions went on and on and on as Ruby who was still trying to process everything while trying to deny everything while realizing that it had to be true because Penny would never lie but what if she did because there wasn't any reason to think that Penny was incapable of telling a joke.

"Ruby I… I can explain it. You just need to give me the chance," he finally managed to stammer out snapping Ruby back to reality as she looked at him for the promised explanation

"Alright then, Jaune what happened?" She asked looking Jaune right in the eye with a look that made it extremely clear that he was not leaving the room without answering.

He could have told another lie but, he didn't or rather he couldn't bring himself to lie to the one person who had always believed in him. So, he took a deep breath and told her everything...

Ruby was rubbing her head trying to see if she could somehow massage the headache out of her skull while the source of her current pain was sitting on a chair close to the workbench. "Okay, Jaune let me see if I got this right, you got drunk and married and Faunus pirate?"

Penny then helpfully interjected, "Well Ruby while Tock has been in trouble with local law enforcement as well as the Academies it has always for her Bounty Hunting and occasional Mercenary work. If she is engaging in Piracy then no one has reported it yet."

"Well, I suppose that makes everything just better!" Ruby's sarcasm carried just a hint of venom in it.

"Tock and I are going to annul the marriage as soon as possible!" Jaune exclaimed. "Look, Ruby, I get why you are upset, and honestly if I was in your position I'd be upset too, but the reason why I didn't say anything was that it wasn't going to matter soon so I kept it myself to avoid any unnecessary drama! Also, we have far far far worse things to be worried about."

Ruby was taken aback, "Look Jaune, I'm sorry. It's just that you have a little absent lately and I thought it was because you were trying to process everything and maybe get some training in-"

"And then you find out that all this time I've been having a fling with some Huntress I've just met and now you can't help but wonder if I'm taking this seriously?" he finished for her.

"Yes, Jaune, that is exactly how I feel- Wait a second! Did you say that she was a Huntress?"

"Why yes he did friend Ruby, however that is technically incorrect as Tock does not currently possess a Huntsman license. She is however considered to be a Freelancer in the kingdoms of Mistral and Vacuo."

Ruby then got close to Jaune, "Does she know anything about the Breach? Can she help us? No wait, first we need to find out if she's on our side, Jaune! Can you somehow find out?"

"Well we are going on a date tonight, does that help?"

"That's perfect! Just be careful about it, maybe just casually mention the Breach and then after that, you could… well, I'm sure you'll figure it out." Ruby stepped away from her friend before suddenly remembering something, "Oh yeah! What was it you were going to ask me for earlier?"

"I wanted your help in making me a new weapon!"

A shine appeared in Ruby's eyes as one idea after another began going through her mind and she wasn't alone even Penny began running numbers in her digital brain trying to calculate what the optimal weapon configuration would be for a man with one arm.

"Ooooh! This weapon is going to be Amazing! Just you wait, Jaune!"

"Ruby."

"Worry not Friend Jaune. Ruby and I will design and construct a perfect weapon for you."

"Guys."

"Come on Penny let's Start right away!"

"WAAAAAAAIT!" Jaune shouted at the top of his lungs. "I already have a weapon in mind!" He then reached into his pocket and pulled a design that he and Tock made together as well as his spare arm and presented it to the two mechanical geniuses who both leaned in to take a closer look.

"You want a Hook?"

"Exactly!"

Penny's eyes glowed for a second and a green light came from her eyes covering the paper and before Jaune could ask about the light, it disappeared. "Scanning Complete!" Penny cheerfully declared. "I will now begin running calculations… I have finished calculating and will return in a moment," she then walked right out of the room leaving Jaune and Ruby alone.

Ruby then walked right over to Jaune and sat down next to him, "So, tell me about her."

He scratched his head in embarrassment before confessing, "I don't know her all that well, and thanks to the Breach, I can't spend as much time getting to know her as I would like but I can tell you that she's not what you'd expect."

"So is it like those books that Blake likes where the guy has a rough rugged exterior but is a secret softie underneath?"

Jaune didn't even try to hide his amusement "No, Thank the Brothers it's nothing like that cliche. Tock doesn't try to hide what a real softie and romantic she is. For example, when we first woke up in bed together she nearly killed me because she saw the ring and thought that I was cheating on my wife."

"Then how did she react when she found out that she was the wife?"

"She took it surprisingly well, hell this whole time she's been helping me refine my skills. Though, now and then she does mention being stuck in Vale and how she'd love to find the ones responsible... I know what she's trying to do but the problem is I don't know how far I can trust her and that's assuming I can trust her at all. What do you think, Ruby? How much do you think I should tell her?"

She thought about it for a bit and with a dejected sigh answered: "In all honesty, you can probably tell her everything that we know since we barely know anything at all."

"Yeah, I thought that would be the case, either way, thanks." He began weighing the pros and cons in his mind, _Tock has never given me any reason to doubt her and she has helped me… but I don't know anything about her. Maybe, I should try and learn about her during our date tonight and come with an answer at the end... _Jaune then got up and began to walk out of the room, "Well I better get ready, my date will be ready soon and it would be rude to keep her waiting… I'm not sure if I can trust Tock yet, but I want to."

"Is that your heart speaking or is that your dick?" Ruby asks while maintaining a look of pure innocence.

Jaune, on the other hand, was caught completely off guard and fell face-first onto the floor "RUBY! WHAT THE HELL!"

"Oh c' mon, that was pretty funny. You can't tell me that wasn't!"

"If Yang heard you say that-"

"She wouldn't do anything except laugh because I'm sixteen, not six! Now get off of the floor before Penny comes back."

The door swung open again whacking the poor boy in the face and knocking him down onto his back as Penny walked in holding a large spool wrapped in a surprisingly thin metallic wire and very nearly stepped right on Jaune. "Salutations! Friend Ruby I have brought something that will greatly assist with the construction of friend Juane's new weapon!" Penny then turned her attention onto Jaune who was still on the floor "Friend Jaune, is there a reason that you are on the floor? Are you perhaps requesting to be stepped on?"

"What no! I just slipped that's all!" He quickly answered while rapidly picking himself off of the floor.

"Penny, why on earth would you think that?" asked Ruby who truly did not want to know the answer.

"I have often overheard the soldiers of Atlas expressing the desire to have Specialist Schnee step on them. I have also heard many of the students of Beacon express the same wish but in regards to Professor Goodwitch. To better understand this, I began to do research which led me to the subject of BDSM, which I found rather enlightening."

It was at this point Jaune decided that he did not want to hear any more and so he betrayed Ruby's trust by abandoning her in her time of greatest need by escaping and leaving her at the mercy of a friendly and naive robot talking at length of a subject that she did not truly understand.

* * *

Mistral was the biggest of the four kingdoms and easily the most diverse in terms of landscape and cultures. For proof, one only had to take a look at team JNPR who was entirely Mistralian even though all four members looked vastly different from one another and yet Lie Ren was born in valleys and Nora Valkyrie grew up with him, while Pyrrha Nikos was from the coast and Jaune was from the plains. However, Qrow Branwen wasn't here to visit any of those places, no the agent of Ozpin had come to the beautiful land of Mistral and went immediately to one of the least hospitable parts of the kingdom, the mountains.

"Damn it, why would anyone choose to live here?" Qrow bemoaned as he made his way through a small unnamed village that according to his investigation was where his target had been last sighted and so he kept going. He was aware that the villagers were giving him angry and suspicious looks and he was also aware that more and more of the village seemed to be following him, _Looks like they are going to try and ambush me, though if that's what they wanted why haven't they attacked yet? Is it because I'm a Huntsman? For that matter why are they picking an unwinnable fight?_ Deciding to stop beating around the bush, he turned around to face the villagers, "I'm looking for a Huntress that went missing about a month ago, her name is Maria Calavera, she wears a porcelain mask shaped like a skull, dresses in blue and uses two scythes as weapons, does anyone know where she is?"

Suddenly every single villager pulled out a makeshift weapon and surrounded Qrow but they made no effort to attack, they just stood there waiting. Then an elderly man dressed in simple yet thick brown clothes came forward, "What do you want with her?"

"Look, I'm a friend who simply wants to know if she is alright."

"Hmmm, hand over your weapon and sit on the ground with your hands up, and then maybe I'll believe you."

Qrow considered his options as he looked at the mob and to be frank, they were no match for him, and judging from the fact they were trying to make him disarm himself, they knew it too. _But they only became like after I mentioned Maria… are they protecting her? Did something happen to her? She was never the easiest person to keep track of but, after The Breach, I suppose nothing is out of the question. _Qrow removed his scythe and tossed it away and then sat right down on the ground which seemed to greatly relieve the villagers.

"Alright then young man, please wait and don't make any sudden movements." The elder then turned to another villager and whispered something that Qrow couldn't make out but, judging how fast the villager then left, he could only imagine that it was important. The elder then turned back to Qrow, "Well soon we'll find if you're telling the truth. But I warn you! If you are lying your will not leave here alive!" Judging by how they were gripping their weapon and the steel in their eyes, Qrow had no doubts about whether or not they would try to keep that promise.

However he could only smile which greatly unnerved the villagers but he didn't care because, _Looks like my luck is finally turning around! _


	5. Chapter 5

"Come with us and don't do anything stupid," spoke the village elder as a group of nervous-looking men holding ropes approached an amused Qrow.

That was around 10 minutes ago and Qrow to his credit had followed without huss, it was not like these people could pose a threat to a Huntsman much less one like himself who had the power to turn into a bird at will so there wasn't any risk in surrendering his weapon or allowing them to bind his hands together. Sure some, mainly his sister, would call his compliance foolish but if things came down to it he was ready and more than willing to fight his way out. This willingness to break free only rose when he saw that their destination was a small house in the middle of the village,_ I've heard stories of this sort of ambush but, the only people who ever seem to fall for it are idiots… which apparently includes me._ He quickly checked the rope that was binding his hands behind his back, for a regular person this would be more than enough to stop them but even a huntsman-in-training could break out of this easily_, I won't be able to just fly away but I should be able to just fight my way out_. So, with a plan already forming in his mind as he allowed himself to be led inside of the building.

The smell of medicine was the very first thing that Qrow noticed when he walked through the door. The next thing he noticed was the nice clean beds and after that, he noticed that there was a woman sitting comfortably on one of the beds with her back turned toward him. The moment he looked at the villagers who were already suspicious of him to the point of hostility somehow found the strength to grip their weapons and his shoulders even tighter, _Who is she and what is her relationship with this village?_

"Is it really you Qrow?"

He recognized that voice, "Maria? What happened? Where have you been?" Qrow attempted to run over to her to get a closer look at the reaper but the men angrily held him back, "Let me go you, Bastards!" He empowered his arms with aura and was about to break free of the bindings when-

"It's alright! I know him, he's a friend of mine!" Maria called out to the villagers.

Almost immediately all tension evaporated along with any sign of hostility from the villagers who let Qrow go. Unfortunately for the Huntsman, he wasn't prepared for the sudden release which resulted in him losing his balance and stumbling face-first onto the floor promoting laughter from Maira and more than a few snickers from the suddenly friendly villagers.

"Sure, just go ahead and laugh. It's not like I was worried sick about you." Qrow mumbled to no one in particular as he was helped up and freed from his bindings by the apologetic albeit still chuckling civilians.

"We apologize for our rough behavior but," the villager looked towards Maira, "Precautions were necessary," said one of the older men who after receiving a nod of acknowledgment from Qrow continued, "We'll retrieve your weapon for now. If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask and… thank you for coming."

One they were alone and stiff uncomfortable silence premeditated the room and Qrow took an opportunity to try and figure out the situation, _These people are very protective of her so she probably helped them out in the past or maybe that's just how they are. However, none of that explains why she needs protection at all..._

"You know Qrow you could always just ask me what happened," Maria pointed out to him, snapping the man out of his thoughts and back to reality, "But I should warn you, that I have some questions of my own," she did not wait for him to answer and instead turned around to face him directly.

Beautiful. Powerful. Fearless. Breathtaking.

Those were just a few of the words that floated around in Qrow's head when he first laid eyes on Maria by complete chance years ago when he was still just a student; the way she moved and fought was permanently ingrained into his mind and was the driving force that pushed him to master the Scythe in and admittedly childish attempt to impress her. The passion that she had for going out to the hardest to reach communities to keep them safe and the way her silver eyes contrasted with her dark skin and black hair, sometimes he thought that she was just some figment of his drunk and horny imagination.

But now back in the present, the words in his mind were longer: Breathtaking, Powerful, and Fearless. In fact, no words were bouncing through his head, instead, there were emotions: Shock, Disbelief, and Horror. Any question that he may have spoken was lost, taken away by the sight before him.

"So, tell me Qrow." Maria's voice was now carrying a venom to it that was very unlike her, "What's the real significance of silver eyes? I know you know or at the very least I know that Ozpin knows and you work for that secretive bastard. So tell me. Why. Did. That. Scaly. Bitch! CUT OUT MY EYES AND LEAVE ME FOR DEAD!?"

* * *

When Jaune agreed to go out on a date with Tock they had chosen to meet at the Central Bullhead Station which many would consider an odd choice. On paper, the Stations were the perfect place to meet up due to how easy they are to find and how they are conveniently located near parks, restaurants, theaters, and any other location that a couple may want to visit, however in reality the Stations are always very busy making them terrible places to meet up. This was due to the nature of living inside of a walled city in a world where land was at a premium resulting in massive crowds that were incredibly easy to get lost or even carried away in. On top of that, the hostility against the Faunus was at an all-time high guaranteeing trouble especially in such a stressful environment and this was a factor that only became worse since Tock's nature as a crocodile Faunus made her stand out in this ocean of flesh and already she on the receiving end of some less than friendly looks and even some outright glares with only her naturally fierce visage preventing a confrontation. Tock was a brute, this was a fact about herself that she knew, understood, and accepted with the same could be said about every single member of her crew and it didn't stop at just mere acceptance. They were happy and even proud to embrace the image of being simple thugs which is partly why they embraced the pirate aesthetic because nobody expects a smart thug.

Take for example her impromptu date with her cute husband, a word that she found herself surprisingly okay with, which was something that many people would call an exceptionally dangerous and pointless risk, those people were dead wrong. Yes, it was a risk but it was far from stupid or pointless, there were three purposes that the date served which were information gathering, baiting, and most importantly fun. Tock and her crew needed the details of what actually happened during and before the Breach and thanks to the Council it was incredibly difficult to find good information. They needed an eyewitness which was where Jaune and his friends came in and tonight she was going to find out everything he knew even if she had to break his pelvis to do so and doing so was going to be very fun. Even if it didn't come down to that, it would be nice just to get out, stretch her legs and eat something that wasn't take-out and the fact that she'd be accompanied by someone who struggled to keep his eyes off of her was a welcome bonus...

Tock received an alert on her scroll and when she checked it she found that it was a message from Turley who as a part of the "Bait," portion of the plan. What this meant was that he along with two were hiding and watching Tock from another location keeping an eye out for any suspicious people, "Your boyfriend just got off the Bullhead, he's on platform 7. So far so good and nothing else to report."

She looked over in the direction of the platform and after a minute, she was able to spot Jaune standing in the crowd looking, in her opinion, rather handsome in dark-colored jeans and a clean white jacket all while holding a bouquet in the grip of his prosthetic hook hand. He was also so visibly nervous and trying so hard to hide it as he searched for her while trying hard to hide it, which only made him look even more adorably awkward _Damn, that laddie looks utterly magic, If ah didnae know any better a'd say he wis putting oan an act fur wee auld me._

"That boy reminds me of myself on my first date," Tock overheard an older man say to his wife.

"I remember it well. It was raining that day and you forgot to bring an umbrella, oh you looked so cute soaked from head to toe," his wife replied with a fond look on her face.

"Actually, I was talking about my very first date, you know the one I had with Samatha."

"Ugh," the man's wife rolled her eyes. "It's been 50 years since she dumped you, get over that bitch already."

"Oh I'm sorry, did you miss the part when I said I was reminded of my first date! You may be the light of my life, but not everything has to be about you!" the man snapped right back.

"Of all the- You begged me to marry you! You ungrateful son of a WHORE!"

Listening to the couple banter gave Tock an idea, a fun, slightly mean but most importantly harmless idea for a joke that did not risk any of their goals. Taking out her scroll she quickly tapped out a message to Jaune, "Oi, babe I'm at the Station plaza, where are you at?" This of course was a lie but it was a harmless one as the worst-case scenario was that he would get lost for a bit and she'd have a good laugh at his expense. And at first, that was exactly what happened, he got her message and though he was confused for a second he just shrugged his shoulders before beginning to look for any signs or landmarks that could help him find the plaza. After a few moments she watched as he spotted a large gate with a sign claiming to lead to the plaza however there was a problem, _This is whaur it get's guid. _The problem was the dense ever-moving crowd between him and the gate that he tried to wade through only to fail, multiple times. Over and over he would try breakthrough and every single time he found himself getting swept away as Tock watched the whole ordeal with copious amounts of giggling, however Jaune was no quitter and still had an ace up his sleeve.

"Out of the way! Move it! I got a date to get to!" Jaune shouted as the crowds rushed to make space for him with even the most stubborn of people complying once they saw the prosthetic arm sticking out of his sleeve. Tock's amazement she watched as he in a manner fitting only a true pirate was using his missing arm to guilt-trip an entire crowd to drop whatever they were doing just to get out of his way and as a result, this time he made it to the gate at record-breaking speed. Patting himself on the back, he took a moment to fix his appearance before walking through the gate and onto a walkway leading to some landing pads. Confused, he took a step back and read the sign…. "GODDAMMIT I WENT THE WRONG WAY!" he came running back out of that gate and began his search anew all while Tock doubled over in laughter, then her scroll began to ring.

On a normal day, she would have just let this call go to voicemail; however, nothing about this day could be considered normal so after checking caller ID she answered the call, "Whit's wrong Mason?" she asked while still struggling to hold back her laughter.

"Jaune is being followed, on his 5 o'clock by an older clean-shaven man of average height and weight with dusty blond hair in an ivy league cut, he is wearing a grey suit and is holding a brown leather bag," her crewmate answered with a grim tone.

It was a strong testament of her skill and experience that she was able in a moment to cut her laughter short and shift into the business mode as she scanned the crowd looking for the pursuer. Following the instructions of her crew, she was able to find the man standing some distance from Jaune and trying to squeeze past people to reach him. _How come Jaune 'n' nae me? _she wondered. Tock thanks to her green scale-covered skin was often the center of attention no matter where she went, that's why she wanted to go on that date, why she asked Jaune to meet her at the station, why Turley, Cecco, and Mason were watching from the shadows. Because this date was a trap to catch the attention of their old employer and she was the bait! They were supposed to be following her, not Jaune! _Shuid ah cancel th' date? No, if ah dae that he'll just wait ere fur th' next bullhead 'n' that Dick will git em… a'm needin' tae git Jaune awa' fae 'ere. _She then took her scroll and quickly typed out a message to Jaune while walking over to the plaza. "If ya don't get here in about 5 mins, I'm just gonna go bar hopping," she wrote.

"**SHIT!**" Jaune unintentionally shouted so loudly that for one moment everyone in the station stopped what they were doing and looked at him before resuming their day as though nothing had happened. But that one moment changed everything about the situation, _There's a path! A way for me to get around the crowd and reach the right gate!_ He walked around to look at it from multiple angles to make sure he hadn't imagined it and found to his pleasure that his eyes were not playing tricks on him, _The question is, how can I get to the table from the bench? Well… There is that thing I've been practicing with Ren's help, _he tried his best to secure the bouquet before dropping down to a sprinter's stanceand taking a deep breath as his body began to glow with Aura.

From her position Tock did not have a clear view of Jaune but even then she quickly figured out what he was doing since it was something that she herself had done plenty of times in the past, _Arua reinforcement!? That's, a guid trick 'n' a' bit he cuid git intae some real trouble fur daein' that 'ere. Bit then again, ain't that just lik' a pirate tae break some rules? _Then she spotted Jaune's purser struggling through crowds to try and reach the boy and a smile made its way to her face as she realized that the man's attempts were going to end in vain, _Tae slow ya bas. _The man finally broke through the crowd but could only stare confused, flabbergasted, and quite possibly bamboozled as Jaune sent the Aura into his legs and shot off like a goddamned cannonball.

"Watch It!"

"Assshole!"

"Behold the oppression of the Proletariat by the hands of the Bourgeoisie!"

"But Frank, he's only got one hand."

"Jerk!"

"It doesn't matter how many hands are in the possession of the Oppressors! All that matters is that we the People no longer remain silent!"

"What is this guy ranting about?"

"Is he off his meds?"

"The Revolutionary or the Wannabe Pirate?"

"Both."

"Do you hear the people sing? Singing a song of angry men?"

"Oh, great… singing."

Tock ignored the pointless squabble and impromptu musical number to make her way over to the gates in order to meet up with Jaune and she had to somehow get there first lest he starts wandering around to look for her and run into his pursuer. She turned around for a moment to try and see just how much time was left when she noticed that despite his speed her husband was still a fair distance away _Whit? Howfur am ah beating him tae th' gate? Wait fur a second! _Taking a moment to observe him she realized that he wasn't running straight towards the gate like she thought he would but, rather he was zig-zagging and doing his damndest to avoid hitting anyone. Thank to that she was able to reach the gate first, _A'ight_ now _howfur dae ah git his attention... s_he decided to simply stand in front of the gate leading to the plaza,_ Loverboy wull stoap th' moment he sees me!_ Bracing herself for impact, Tock spread her arms ready to catch him when-

*WOOOOOOOSH*

He ran right past her… _That glaikit son o' a boot_, "TURN YERSELF AROUND YE DUNDERHEIDED GOWK!" the booming sound of her pissed off voice caught Jaune's attention and he attempted to turn around and run right back to her but she wasn't taking any chances. After briefly calculating his trajectory she used some Aura reinforcement of her own to close the distance and stop the boy in his tracks while bringing him into her arms for a hug that would have melted the hearts of anyone watching.

But she saw him, the man that had been following Jaune. He was standing in the crowd glaring right at them and specifically at her and began to walk towards them as her scroll rang with message alert after message alert from her crew that was monitoring the situation. She didn't let go of Jaune and instead looked right at the peruser as her face morphed from one of relief into a look of pure malice and he saw it. She wanted that bastard to see it and understand the meaning behind it and it worked... instead of moving closer he just stood there with his emotions on full display, fear, displeasure, frustration, shock and even a hint of anger were all playing across his face as he slowly walked back into the crowd at Bullhead Station disappearing from view.

"Tock, what's wrong?" Jaune asked, though most certainly not complaining.

"Ye wur bein' followed," she answered.

To say that he was stunned would be inaccurate, he was surprised but only because of the timing, _This is too soon! I only just started helping Ruby out, there was no way that the people behind the attack could know about me… unless they were somewhere in either The Breach or Beacon, maybe both... _

"Come, love, we hae a lot tae blether about… oh 'n' cheers fur th' flowers, "Tock spoke, snapping him out of his thoughts and without needing to be told, Jaune linked his arms with her and left the plaza to head into the city leaving that stalker behind...

He remained silent as he followed her out of the Station Plaza and onto the sidewalk where she immediately began leading him in a certain direction while using her scroll to send message after message. _She's so focused on that scroll, it must be important. I wonder if I can somehow get a look. _He shifted positions a bit until he had her scroll in plain view before attempting to peek at her screen. Unsurprisingly Tock noticed what he was doing and in a move that caught him off guard, she tilted the screen to let him read the messages. Even with her help it was annoyingly difficult to read due to how fast the texts were being exchanged and what he could read was even harder to understand due to a lack on context but he was able to glean several pieces of information with the first being that the other three members of her crew were hidden just out of sight and keeping an eye on the both of them. Specifically, he learned that Turley was somewhere behind them to keep watch for any other followers,_ So I was being followed!_ The one called Cecco seemed to be scouting ahead for any suspicious individuals and was currently searching for a place for him and her to hide out in and finally, Mason was keeping an eye on both of them.

This information made him feel… he didn't know how to feel about this, _She asked me out but had her crew watching us but why? Were they looking for someone? I thought it was weird how she wanted to meet at the Station since that place is so crowded but what if that was the point? They wanted as many people as possible to us, that's why her crew was watching! Because this entire date was just to lure someone out! She wasn't interested in going out with me, she just wanted fucking bait! _That thought made him feel an odd uncomfortable mix of anger and sorrow. Noting that his arm was still entwined with Tock's, he reached out and placed his hand directly on top of hers and started to channel some aura into his fingers intending on squeezing her hand until he got a confession. He was not prepared for her finger fingers to interlock with his or for the mournful look she was now giving him as though she could read his mind.

"Look ye'r mad at me 'n' ah git it. Bit, thare ur two good reasons how come ah asked ye out th' day 'n' a' ah ask is a chance tae explain myself."

"Well then, start talking."

"Right 'ere? Just up ahead is a karaoke place that haes private-"

"How about we talk on the way?" Jaune answered back his voice making it very clear he wasn't going to make any compromise.

To say that Tock was intimidated would be a flat out lie, she however was worried but only because she realized that what she said next would have consequences that could never be taken back and that was a frightening thought even for her. _Well, ah cannae just tell him th' truth. Otherwise, how'd he react tae th' idea at me 'n' th' crew might hae hud something tae dae wi' dis. Bit, ah hae tae say something…_ taking a moment to just feel his hand in hers as they walked, "Th' truth is me 'n' mah crew ur bounty hunters 'n' th' reason we did this is becasue thare is important info that we dinnae ken."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"Th' lest bounty mah crew 'n' ah went efter wis bizarre, tae start wi' 'twas a private bounty."

"A private bounty?"

"Suppose thare wis someone wha did ye wrong 'n' managed tae dodge th' cops, normally thare wid be a bounty. Bit suppose fur a second that th' money is tae small or th' guy is hiding out somewhere remote. Normally that guy wid simply git awa' wi' it unless someone else went 'n' made th' extra work worth th' effort."

"So private bounties are essentially extra money offered on top of an official bounty? Is that legal?" The two walked for a few seconds in silence and coming into view was a building that was advertising 24/7 karaoke, _Is that the place Tock mentioned? It must be since we're walking towards it._

"Thay were when mah grandma wis in th' business bit she ne'er did lik' thaim. She said that she wis a bounty hunter, nae an assassin 'n' afore ye ask th' answer is no. Ah ne'er took th' killing jobs bit ah did tak' a' th' others."

"Tock, where are you going with this?" Jaune asked, his voice making it very clear that he was losing patience.

"What dae ye know about silver eyes?" suddenly Tock felt Jaune stop walking, his grip going from comforting to crushing and his face… that look he was giving her told the entire story, "Ye know someone wha git them eyes!" she stated with an apologetic look in her eye.

"What's so special about the eyes?" he demanded.

"Please, kin this wait 'til efter we're inside?" she asked, nearly begging.

"Why? Why? Can't you tell me here?"

"Fur whit a'm aff tae tell ye is aff tae sound insane bit tis true 'n' ah dinnae want th' wrong ears tae hear it," now she was all but pleading with him.

For a tense moment, he stared at her before finally relenting, "Fine, lead the way."

* * *

No more words were exchanged between the two as they made their way over the karaoke place and after a few minutes, the two reached the entrance to what as far as Jaune could tell was a legitimate place of business but, _Given how she wanted to come here so badly there is almost something shady about this place. Come to think of even that gym we trained at "The Pit," was all kinds of weird. After all, why would a gym need a soundproof room?_ However, despite his doubts, he never let go of Tock's hand as she walked up the counter where a pale tall, and a rather lanky man dressed in a black suit with a red tie and sunglasses was standing at attention.

"A'd lik' one o`yer end eh the week specials fur about, a'd say two hours, oh 'n' we ur aff tae need some strong drinks aff th' bat," she spoke to the uninterested clerk who simply punched a few numbers into a computer, once he was done the man then reached under the counter and pulled out a key that he handed to Her.

"Very well ma'am. I hope you and your friend can have a good time," he spoke with such a cold monotone manner that Jaune briefly wondered if the man was actually some sort of machine but quickly dismissed those thoughts to get a better look around.

The interior of the building was for lack of a better word was empty, there was no furniture, no decorations, not even a vending machine. However this did allow Jaune a clear unobstructed view of the building's interior layout but even then there wasn't much to see, just one door in the back leading to what he assumed was the kitchen, a staircase, an elevator, and finally a hallway with a multitude of doors on both sides one more door marked as an emergency exit at the very end.

With the key in hand the two begin to make their way down that hallway, "This steid is owned by a jimmy cried Hei Xiong, wha is th' gaffer o' th' Red Axe Gang though he uses it mostly fur money laundry, a've an' a' heard that his daughters lik' takin wae me thair dates 'ere," she waited for Jaune to say anything back, but it was soon apparent that he was not interested in any small talk right now, which was something she both understood and to a degree respected though it did sadden her just a little.

Soon afterward they were inside one of the rooms and unlike the front desk, this place was furnished with an impressive looking karaoke machine, a sturdy looking table as well as comfortable looking sofas which both Tock and Jaune took advantage of, "A'right love, ye wanted answers well. A'm aff tae give thaim tae ye bit ah warn ye right now that a dinnae know much myself. "

"And yet you know enough to want to bring me here," he was quick to point out.

"Fur o' whit a saw, Jaune. Silver Eyes hae th' power tae murdurr 'n' petrify th' Grimm wi' just a look!" She then waited for a response, a reaction anything really but all she got back was an unimpressed and uninterested stare.

"Tock," he finally spoke up, "What kind of idiot do you take me for?"

"Huh!?"

"As you guessed I know someone with silver eyes and they have never killed a Grimm with just a look! Hell if that was true we would be hearing stories about it all the time! Someone who can kill the Grimm just by looking at them, somebody like that would have people worshiping the ground they walked on!" He was disgusted,_ I put some trust in her and she feeds me Bullshit? The actual Fuck!_

There were two knocks on the door and then they heard a voice through it "I've brought the refreshments, may I come in?"

"Aye, ye kin," Tock answered back.

The door opened and a man dressed just like the one sitting at the counter walked in carrying a cooler that he opened up revealing several cans of beer and some cheap plastic cups that he left on the table before leaving without a word. Once he was gone Tock grabbed one of the cans, cracked it open, and proceeded to take a much-needed drink. Even Jaune was currently pouring himself a drink by using the prosthetic hook hand to hold the cup while he poured with the other hand and for a few straight minutes the two of them simply drank.

Afterward, Tock placed her can down and began to tell the story he was waiting for, "We wur in some backwater village in Mistral when we git an offer sent directly tae our scrolls, a private bounty asking us tae gang efter th' eyes o' a particular huntress."

"This isn't helping your case."

"Let me, finish. Ye see, now 'n' then a bad apple emerges fae within th' ranks o' Huntsmen despite a' th' effort that th' academy 'n' kingdoms dae tae weed thaim out. This bounty, in particular, claimed that she wis purposely goin out o' her awa Grimm alive tae keep da locals o' an unnamed village dependent oan thair new queen. Sae th' the boys 'n' ah decided tae give it a look 'n' kin ye guess whit we saw?"

"Surprise me."

"She wis fightin' a giant nevermore 'n' git arrogant 'n' made a mistake bit afore th' thing cuid tak' her doon a light cam fae her eyes 'n' when it faded… th' Grimm hud bin turned intae a crumbling stone statue. That wis whin we struck 'n' ah git her eyes then we git paid 'n' headed tea Vale tae celebrate."

"Why Vale? Why not Mistral?" He asked only mildly interested in the answer.

"Fur we weren't th' only group that git hired, sae tae avoid thaim we cam 'ere. Vale isnae as corrupt as Mistral 'n' wi' an academy aye wi`in earshot, well it mak's revenge trickier 'n' often awfy too much trouble tae be worth it. Then th' breach happened…," she took another drink only continuing when she was done. "Ca' me paranoid bit, th' timing wis damning bit we didnae hae any evidence… 'til now. "

"What are you talking about?"

"We tried tae fin' information oan our own ain bit we kept comin' up empty, efter a while, we thought that maybe th' problem wis howfur we kept ourselves hidden, sae we tried something new."

"That's why you asked me out, that's why you wanted to meet me at the stations! It's why today you're openly showing your face despite wearing that hoodie every single other time! This isn't a date, this is a trap and I was the bait!" he angrily got up and began to walk around the room as Tock watched unsure of what to say and then suddenly he shouted, "GODDAMNIT!" and for a moment it looked like he was going to punch something but instead, he just sat back down exhausted and utterly pissed.

"Jaune?"

"Tock right now I want to just go home and forget this day ever happened but," he grabbed one of the cans, opened it, and took a long angry drink. "My friends, which as I told you includes someone with silver eyes… they believe that there is a plot against Vale."

"You mean th' Breach?"

"No… we think it's bigger, that the Breach was just one part of it and I guess it's my turn to tell a story. Keep in mind though, that I wasn't involved in most of it, in fact, I only got involved after the Breach. Keep in mind that this all started before I even started at Beacon, so one day my friend, the one with silver eyes, was inside of a dust shop when some guys tried to rob it..."

When he had joined the Red Axe gang the last thing on his mind was working as a clerk in some kind of karaoke bar but this was a relatively safe job that paid well. On top of that, he never knew who was going to walk through those doors next and what kind of stories he would have once the night was over making it the most interesting job he ever had, however, today he was stuck on the day shift and most of the action happened at night. Sure, it was still a weekend but Karaoke was seen by many to be a night activity which was something he agreed with. That said the lack of customers, for now, just meant that he had a chance to catch up on some reading which was yet another unexpected benefit on the job.

Then the door suddenly opened up and inside walked in an unusually young-looking man dressed completely in green and sporting a discomforting smile. The weirdo looked around for a moment before walking up the deck and asking him, "Do you mind telling me about that rather lovely young lady with those vibrant scales, all I need is a name."

"Look buddy I don't know who you think you are but-"

"My name is Peter and while I admire your dedication to your job, you'll soon find that I am the exception-" the weirdo's scroll suddenly vibrated, "Wait one moment." Peter checked the message while the clerk just stared at him with an annoyed look that was completely ignored, however, that soon changed when Peter put away his scroll and looked right at him with an unnervingly friendly smile, "I'm sorry for my earlier behavior but, I wonder if I could bother you for a pen and some paper?"

The clerk who wanted nothing more than to be rid of this man quickly produced the items which Peter graciously took and wrote something down. Once he was done instead of handing back the note the Weirdo first reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet and pulled out a rather impressive wade of cash and handed both the money and the note to the clerk.

"The money is for you and the note is for Tock, the woman I was asking about earlier. Feel free to read the note yourself if you want but I do need you to give it to her," Peter spoke.

"Consider it done."

"Thanks, sire and have a good day," with that Peter turned around just walked away leaving the clerk alone who after a few moments did read the note:

Your Former Employer Would Like to Discuss Future Employment Opportunities With You.

I suggest you call them

(Number is on the back)

* * *

**Author's Notes:** This was a rather difficult chapter to write (Though it was nothing compared to chapter 4) as some really important events needed to happen here. However, let me assure you that this story hasn't caught a case of the dreaded Cerebus Syndrome (Say the man who ended the chapter with the introduction of an evil Peter Pan). But, things are going to get a little rough from here on out.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes:** I considered having Jaune retelling the story of the Breach but, honestly it would just result in a chapter of him repeating stuff that you would already know so I decided to spare you that and move the plot forward instead.

* * *

Jaune had Tock's full undivided attention as he recounted the events leading up to The Breach starting from the Dust Robbery that Ruby had foiled and worked his way towards the present, he even included the meeting he and his team had with RWBY afterward. However, there were holes in his story partly because he wasn't there for many of those moments and had to rely on RWBY to know what happened. However the second and far bigger reason was that he did not trust her, he found her attractive and wanted to get to know her better but didn't fully trust her even before this shitstorm of a "Date" and who could blame him? His bride was an acquaintance at best so he purposely left out certain key details like the names and physical appearances of his friends and especially the identity of his "silver-eyed," friend and to Tock's credit, she didn't ask for that information. Instead, she just listened carefully to the story asking questions whenever she was having trouble understanding his timeline of events and making careful note of every detail that stood out to her as odd, choosing instead to wait till the end before asking any major questions.

"And well after that, everyone just went on doing what we could do to try and prepare. Though without knowing who we're actually up against or what they want, there really isn't anything more we can do expect just… search," He reached for another can of beer and drank it down before sitting back down of the sofa, "That about sums things up on my end but, maybe you have had an easier time digging up the information being the bounty hunter that you claim to be."

Now it was her turn to reach out and grab another can from their rapidly depleting supply, "Truth be told, we haven't bin huvin th' best o' luck tracking down our old gaffer. Th' thing is they contacted us thro' an agent which itself isnae odd, private bounties ur pretty much illegal anyways, except in Vacuo bit they guys hae ne'er bin oan th' identical page as a' body else. Now whit wis odd wis th' agent didnae know anythin' bout th' guy either, which almost always spells trouble. We wur about tae jus reject th' contract when th' guy offering th' bounty went 'n' gave us a ca' himself, which is something th' ne'er happens ever. Either way, he said his name wis Hazel however, that wis likely just a fake name, tis standard in this kind o' business. "

"Makes sense… So what did he say that convinced you?"

"He asked us nae tae murdurr her, cut oot her eyes sure. Bit he made it clear that she didnae deserve tae die 'n' he emphasized that sae much that it made us curious sae curious that... We accepted th' jab though we hud no intention o' actually daein' th' deed. We just wanted tae see whit wis going oan sae we tracked her down 'n' lik' ah said earlier she wis fightin' a giant nevermore when she git cocky 'n' made a rookie mistake 'n' th' bird saw tis chance 'n' lunged at her. Then we saw a light just pouring out fae her eyes, it covered th' entire field 'n' even caught us up in it, bit only th' Grimm wis hurt 'n' well if that trick wis real then maybe some o' th' other hings he said bout her wur real as well," she confessed.

"And after the Breach?" Jaune asked.

"Well, we coudnae just lea, nae without getting some compensation."

The way she spoke that the last word sent a shiver up Jaune's spine,_ Thank god it's not me she's after… though it does kinda sound hot. _He tried his best not to imagine being chased around by her but the idea had already taken hold as his mind started to think about what would happen after she caught him… _Down boy! I said down!_

Thankfully Tock didn't notice his reaction or erection and just kept talking, "Sae we found some informants 'n' asked around fur a bit of information oan th' guy bit thay had absolutely nothing. Now that set aff some real dire warning bells in our heads 'n' ferr frankly if ye hud bin anythin' less than a huntsman-in-training we'd dane given up." She saw the look of confusion on his face and knew the question that would be coming and decided to answer it before he could ask, "We figured that ye might hae known something or knew someone who wid hae known, academy students ur often surprisingly well connected. Add tae that th' fact th' even a first-year huntsman-in-training is aye a deadly force 'n' if ye murdurr yin or even just wound one then well done, ye just brought th' whole school down oan yer head, efter that ye'r only options ur tae surrender or go intae hiding, also…,"

"Also? Also what?" he demanded.

She hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and taking what she knew would be a disastrous plunge, "Ah just liked... hingin out wi' ye," she admitted, _This is th' truth, please believe me! _For what felt like an eternity he just sat there in complete silence while looking right at her. She tried to discern his thoughts by reading the expression on his face but it was a very complicated one. On the surface, there was nothing of surprise and disbelief but just beneath it, there was something else stirring. It started as an odd look in his eyes but it soon spread like wildfire and before long there could be no doubt what it was: Angry indignation and it was fully directed at her.

"Did you actually think, I'd fall for such blatant Bullshit!? Especially after you just confessed that you were using me, or did I somehow misunderstood the part about Academy students being well connected?" He just sat there glaring at her, silently accusing and condemning her, and then he got up to leave.

Until she grabbed his arm and returned the glare, "'N' whit about ye? huh? Or dae ye expect me tae think that ye weren't an' a' usin` me tae have a go 'n' learn about wat's bin going oan? Dinnae even try 'n' deny it! cause ah knew, 'n' ye know whit! hud a'd known something ah would've tell ye in a heartbeat! Can ye guess how come?"

"Enlighten me."

"Because of th' idea that ah wis somehow responsible! th' thought that mah friends Mason, Turley, 'n' Cecco might hae hud a hand in this act o' terrorism sickens me, sickens us! Whit's sae hard tae understand about that! Or dae ye think that ye 'n' yer pals ur th' only ones going around 'n' risking thair bides fur others? Well, guess whit laddie! Ye wur right th' date wis a trap bit ye were nae th' bait, ah wis! That's how come ah wis showing mah face in th' open, how come ah wanted tae catch up wi` ye someplace crowded 'n' how come mah crew wis peepin'! In case someone started tae follow me! Dae ye git it?! Th' target wis suppose tae be me 'n' me alone!" She was angry but at who… even she didn't know.

"Then why was I followed instead of you!?" Jaune shot back.

"Howfur aboot ye ask yer freinds wha wur th' ones wha actaully respsible fur ye getting dragged intae this mess!" The moment the words left her mouth she wished she could take them back, words but before she could even from the beginning of an apology she saw the look on Jaune's face and nearly all her regret was replaced by confusion. Instead of righteous fury that most would rightfully expect, she saw was a man on the verge of an epiphany, _Whit's wrong wi' him? he shuid be furious at me fur whit ah said about his friend, wait… he said something earlier about one o' his mates..._ and then she remembered and everything made sense, _Silver Eyes, yin o' his mates haes Silver Eyes! _She looked back at him and saw a look of absolute horror written right on his face and she didn't need a mirror to know that she was wearing the same look, _Th' Breach wasn't th' main attack! 'twas an attempt tae reveal who th' Silver Clocked Warrior o' Vale wis! Whoever is behind this is going efter a' body wi' silver eyes!_

"I need to warn Ruby!" Jaune shouted.

"You'll need tae warn yer friend!" Tock shouted at the same time.

Under different circumstances, this coincidence would have illicit surprise and laughter from the two but now it went completely unnoticed as the pair reached for their scrolls. Jaune now free from Tock's grip was calling Ruby while nervously pacing around the room around, "Pick up the scroll, someone please pick up the scroll…" he whispered over and over urging Ruby or really anyone to answer as the worry began to gnaw away at his mind. At the same time, Tock typed out a group message to her crew informing them of what she had learned and prepared herself to answer the deluge of questions they would have for her.

* * *

Yang Xiao Long was sitting quietly inside of her dorm room while studying not for a test but, rather, to get ahead of some of her classes. To anyone that didn't really know the Brawler, her choice of activity would have come off as a surprise, the ones who did have the pleasure of knowing her knew that in actuality Yang, despite her reputation as a party girl, was an incredibly hard worker with a strong sense of responsibility. The privileged handful who knew her the best was aware that her reputation was a carefully manufactured lie that she made for the sake of her little sister, the party girl persona was fake, a mask that she had carefully crafted over many years and while. Sure Yang liked to have fun and hang out with her friends but that was something that applied to every single person in the world the difference was to the extent that some people took and prioritized it and that extent was where the lie could be found and Yang lied for the sake of her precious little sister Ruby. When their mother Summer Rose died, Yang took on responsibilities that should have never been hers to make sure that Ruby would get to grow up with someone who would tuck her in the night, bake her sweets, comfort her, teach her, and love her unconditionally. In short, Yang made herself into a mother, the "Party Girl," existed just to keep her sister from ever blaming herself for taking so much of Yang's time. For her little sister, Yang was willing to do anything.

The sound of a ringing scroll caught her attention and she pulled away from her notes in order to search the room for the source, _My scroll is on vibrate so someone must've accidentally left their's behind, better find it just in case it's important. Ah! There you are!_ It was Ruby's scroll that had been left behind on her bed,_ If I remember correctly she left the scroll here because she was going to the forge, something about not wanting to be distracted._ _I'll just let it go to voicemail... though I suppose it wouldn't hurt to see who's trying to call her._ She reached out and grabbed the device and was surprised to see that the caller was ID'd as "Vomit Boy." _Who is this guy and why would Ruby have him listed with something like... Oh, wait for it Jaune! Oh, that is funny! And it would be even funnier if he had her listed as Crater Face! Wait a minute, wasn't he supposed to be on a date? Did something happen? Better answer and find out._

"Hey, Vomit Boy! How's the date?"

"Yang!? Where's Ru- actually no, It's better that you answered," his voice was quivering in a way that she instantly recognized as a mix of both fear and relief, something had gone wrong.

"Jaune what's-"

"Please just listen to me for now!" he cut her off in a manner that only confirmed that something was wrong and Yang began to fear the worst, "I think I know what the people behind both the Docks and the Breach are actually after, Silver Eyes! For some reason, they are after people with Silver Colored eyes!"

Yang felt all the blood in her veins turn ice cold, _Summer had Silver Eyes too and she's dead… and neither dad nor Qrow ever really told us how it happened_, "What do you mean Targeted? Jaune What do you mean!?"

"I mean exactly what I said! For some reason the ones behind the attacks seem to be targeting anyone with Silver colored eyes, I know it sounds insane but it's the only lead I have!"

"Why? Why are they targeting Ruby? Why are Silver Eyes such a big deal!?"

"I don't know! I don't know what they are trying to pull off but what I do know is that they seem to think that having Silver Eyes gives you the ability to destroy the Grimm with just a look but, why would that warrant killing them? It doesn't make a lick of sense! Just do what you think you have to do, I'll try and find out what I can," with that Jaune hung up.

Yang had to fight the urge to run down to the Forge just to check if her little sister was okay,_ Calm down, she's with Penny and we're in Beacon, she's perfectly safe for now. What I need right now is information. _Setting Ruby's scroll down, she reached into her pocket, pulled out her own scroll, and dialed Uncle Qrow's number, _He works closely with Ozpin so if there is anyone who knows what's going on it's him._

"We're sorry but the number you have dialed cannot be reached at this moment."

Yang hung up and mentally cursed herself, _I forgot he was on a mission… I could call dad, he used to work just as closely with Ozpin before he retired and became a teacher at Signal,_ She dialed his number and waited for a response that soon came.

"Hey, how's my Little Dragon! Is everything okay?" under any other circumstances just hearing his ever-cheerful voice would have brightened up her day.

"Dad, what do you know about Silver Eyes?" The silence that followed told Yang enough, _Dad knows something._

"Yang... why would you ask me that?"

"Because someone might be going after Ruby because of her eyes," she answered bluntly.

There was another moment of silence on the other side of the line and then suddenly there was the sound of something breaking and she if she focused she could make out her father shouting a line of furious obscenities and directed at various names some which she recognized and other which she was hearing for the first time in her life. Had she been in a normal state of mind she would be shocked by his behavior but now all she cared about was results and… there was something comforting about the idea that there were people even angrier than her. Eventually, his rage subsided just a little and he turned his attention back to his daughter, "Yang is there anyone else in the room with you?"

"No, there isn't."

"Good, listen carefully there are many things in this world that have to remain a secret for the sake of everyone living in it, do you understand?"

"Right now I don't care about everyone else! What I care about right now is stopping my sister from ending up like Mom!" she shouted at him not really considering the weight of what she just said. There was a pause and she could almost feel the internal struggle that her dad was having with himself though about what? She didn't know nor did she really care.

Eventually, she heard him breathe a sigh of resignation, "You're right, you're completely right. Yang, there is a lot that I can't tell you right now, but what I can I will and when I'm done I'm coming straight to Beacon, we're going to protect Ruby together understand?"

"Just get here as soon as possible."

"In the meantime go to Ozpin and tell him what you know, he'll try and deflect but you have to keep pushing him. Don't let him walk away and don't waste time trying to get any direct answers from him, I'll tell you and Ruby everything when I get there, understood?"

* * *

Sitting on the couch together both Jaune and Tock wondered to themselves the same question, _Where do we go from here?_ Neither had any answer worth sharing so they did the only thing that they could both agree on and finished off the beer that remained. Physically they were fine but mentally and emotionally they were running on fumes. What should have been a day of fun and relaxation instead morphed into an awful mess of suspicion bordering on flat out paranoia with a side of anger, regret, and finally confusion, in short Jaune and Tock were both done with what was officially the most exhausting day of their lives,

"Fuck today," Jaune finally spat out, "I just wanted to have some fun! I wanted to relax with you and get to know you better! But instead, we got all this Fucking Cloak and Dagger shit, couldn't it have waited till after we were done?" He wasn't wasted but it was clear that the alcohol and his ruined mood were loosening his tongue.

"Ah, kin gree wi' that sentiment, ah hud th'day a' planned out 'n' then that fucking' blond bastard showed up, ah swear if ah ever see his face again ah will break it! '' Tock angrily replied.

"Sorry about that… please don't break my face."

"Nae ye Jaune! ah wis talking about th' dick in th' suite follaein ye, he's th' bastard a'm wanting' tae batter!"

"What were you planning to do with me?"

"Ah, wis going tae fuck you," she stated with such straightforwardness that Jaune nearly choked on his spit. Then only a few seconds later did it dawn on her own words what she just said, _Did ah just say that? damn, a'm letting th' booze git tae me._ "Whit ah meant wis, ah wis going tae milk ye fur info then milk ye dry!" _Goddamnit, how come did ah hae tae be a horny blootert? _

"Tock, look I appreciate what you're trying to do but right now I… I just can't, I cannot deal with this shit. I just want to…"

"Break something?" Tock suggested.

"Yes! Exactly! I want to break something!"

"Then let's go tae th' Pit 'n' hae an angry spar, that wey we kin rough ilk other up."

"Can't, I don't have my weapon on me."

"Whit! ye didnae bring a backup weapon!? Or dae ye simply nae have one?" she asked, genuinely curious and even a little concerned for his safety.

"Until my Hook is finished, all I have is my sword, and either way, why does it matter? I have been doing just fine so far!" Tock responded to his claim by pulling out a pistol and pointing right at him.

Many at that moment would have froze however, Huntsmen do not freeze and even in his slightly drunken state he still had the good sense to immediately move away from her. To the untainted eye, it would look as if he was just trying to put some distance between himself and the crocodile Faunus and he was, at first but more importantly, he was considering his options._ The room is most likely soundproof so I can't call for help, there is an intercom on the wall by the door but I'll get shot if I try and go for it now. I have my aura so I won't be in danger so maybe I can go for the gun!_ Perhaps it was the alcohol that was calling the shots right now or perhaps all those lessons were finally starting to sink in, either way, they didn't matter as Jaune shifted his body slowly moving in a position to launch himself at Tock who noticed right away what he was trying to do.

She watched him for a few seconds taking note of how he never took his eyes off of her hand and how he was winding himself up for a strike, _Th' guy planning oan rush me th' moment ah tak' th' shot, a stupid plan if he didnae hae aura. Though ah wonder howfur did he plan or does he think he kin outwrestle me? _She then put the gun away, "Crakin' reactions, ah especially love howfur ye going just shoot yersel' at me lik' a cannonball. Bit tell me, love, howfur wid ye hae handled me wance we were locked in close quarters combat? or maybe ye wanted me tae overpower ye?" She spoke while licking her lips to let him know exactly what kind of close-quarters combat was on her mind.

"This is some kind of Joke to you!?" he angrily demanded.

That was not the reaction she expected as it finally hit her just how badly she misread the situation, "Jaune, a'm sorry. Ah just wanted tae prove a point 'n' whin ah saw howfur ye reacted, a'm sorry ah took it tae far."

"Let me see your scroll," he demanded while carefully sitting himself down.

"How come dae yi''ll need tae see mah scroll?"

"When I was calling my friend I saw that you were texting someone else. If you want me to believe that you can be trusted, then let me see the message," his tone made it very clear that he wouldn't be budging on this, and to his surprise, she just gave the scroll to him already unlocked. _This could just be a trick to lower my guard,_ With that thought, Jaune got up and walked out of the room leaving Tock all alone.

"Well this is th' shittiest date a've ever bin on…fuck that blond bastard, he goosed everything," she grumbled to herself.

* * *

Maria Calavera walked up to Qrow and began unraveling all the bandages covering her eyes until he could see what lies beneath and he saw nothing, just empty cavities where there should have been two Silver Colored eyes. To make matters worse there was a long cut starting on one side of her head and stretching across the face, right through the empty eye sockets.

"Wh- what happened!" he stuttered out.

"What happened is what my father was afraid was going to happen to either me or himself," she spat out.

"Himself?"

"My father also had Silver Eyes you idiot!" she sat down next to Qrow and pointed at a fresh set of bandages that were lying next to him. He got the message and handed the new bandages to her while she gave him the old ones to throw away, which he did and once he was done, she continued, "My father may the Bothers rest his soul, had silver-colored eyes and taught me how to use mine. I never forgot how he once told me that when he was younger he attempted to learn about his eyes and what he found scared him."

"What did he find?"

"Not a damn thing and I think you know why."

She was right, he did know why. But what was he supposed to do? Just tell her that the war between all living things and the Grimm wasn't just a fancy metaphor or a cheap way for sleazy politicians to drum up some quick support, that it was an actual war with an enemy who was winning?_ Think Qrow! Come on there has got to be an answer, something you can say that will satisfy her!_ He racked his brain trying to find an answer, numerous possible scenarios played through his head and every single one ended poorly. So caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice that Maria had gotten up from her seat and was making her way towards the door.

Then the cold air hit him snapping him out of his thoughts, he scanned the room looking for where she could have gone and found her still there by the now open door angrily looking right at him despite her lack of eyes, "If you are not going to give me any answers then we have nothing to talk about, leave," she demanded.

"Look, Maria, I understand that you have questions but-,"

"What you need to understand Qrow is that I'm not going back out there until I get some FUCKING ANSWERS! So either you give them to me or the only thing you'll be taking back to Ozpin is my letter of resignation and a black eye! Do you understand me?"

"Fine, you win… but I need you to close the door and get close to me. What I'm about to tell you cannot leave this room," Qrow dejectedly answered,_ Sorry Oz, but there doesn't seem to be another way._

She slowly closed the door and made her way over to his side and like he asked, got close, real close. Under different circumstances, this would have been the fulfillment of an old dream of a younger Qrow going back to when he was just a dopey teenager with a crush on a Silver Eyed girl with a scythe and yet he wasn't a boy anymore and her silver eyes were stolen from her. "The Grimm have a Queen and her name is Salem, she's the one who wanted your eyes cut out. That's why you need to come back with me to Beacon, to Ozpin so we can try and put a stop to whatever she's planning to do in Vale. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Qrow watched as Maria slowly got right back and positioned herself right in front of him, he saw the scowl on her face, the way her fist was shaking with anger, and now it was now flying towards his face, _This is going to hurt._ And it did, it knocked him right off of his seat, though this came as no surprise to him. She was after all a huntress whose weapon choice was twin Scythes with a carbine rifle built within them, even without the firearms those scythes weren't what anyone would call a light weapon and yet she swung them with ease. The fact that he was now laying on the floor with an aching jaw which would for certain be broken if he had been anything less than a Huntsman was a testament to her strength but if a little pain was what it took to win her over, then it was a rather small price to pay.

"I asked you for the truth and you're still trying to sell me this garbage!? The Grimm have a Queen!? How stupid do you think I am? Now tell me the truth or I will get you thrown out of this village, this is your last chance."

Pulling himself off of the floor, the dusty old crow stared back at the blinded reaper and stood his ground, "When I was a student in Beacon I was part of a team called STRQ and our leader was a woman named Summer Rose. She had silver eyes and she's dead now," He paused for a moment to let that sink in, "Now Summer has a daughter who inherited her mother's desire to help as well as her Silver Eyes. That girl, my niece is following in her mother's footsteps and she just wants to help people and has no idea what could be waiting for her. Please come with me, if not for Ozpin then do it for yourself, do it so we can find whoever did this to you and stop them before they claim another victim."

Maria was trembling with both anger and fear unsure which one to listen to and for a moment Qrow was afraid that she was going to try and run,_ Damn it! This is exactly why Oz wanted to keep this info a secret because people will panic! _Not sure of what he could do without making everything worse he just stood there and prayed to any god that might be out there, that Maria would make the right decision in her inner war as fear alongside her desire to run and hide fought tooth and nail against her anger and the need to avenge herself against her attackers, eventually there was a winner.

Fear lost.

* * *

Jaune honestly wasn't sure of what he expected when he began to look through Tock's messages, perhaps he thought that he would find some sinister plan or maybe photos of his friends taken in secret, just anything that would prove that she and her crew were the bad guys but he found nothing of the sort and that was frustrating. _Maybe… I can just cut out the middle man? The room is soundproof and so she wouldn't be able to hear me walk away, I can go straight to the police with her scroll and let them handle it. Or better yet, I could go to Beacon and hand it over to the professors, they're huntsmen, even bounty hunters like them would be arrested before too long, and with her out of the way, we'd be closer to the ones responsible… _He took the scroll, placed it in his pocket, and took a step down the hall and towards the exit.

"I'm telling you, Cardin, the man flew!" a familiar voice rang through the hallway, "It had to have been his semblance there is literally no other way for a guy to fly like that."

"I believe you, but do you think he was a competitor? Or just a Huntsman coming to watch their kid? Hopefully, its the latter because I have no idea how we're going to handle a guy who can fly. It's basically cheating and I for one- Jaune? Hey, look, it's Jauny boy! What's Up!" Cardin Winchester and his friend Russel Thrush approached the pirate who was cursing his rotten luck.

"Hey, guys, what are you doing here?" Jaune asked just to be polite.

"Well, Russel and I were looking around town for any good hang out spots you know since the council is going to lift the travel ban soon and when that happens the halls of Beacon will be filled to the brim with the rest of the visiting students!"

"And we'll be ready to show them around town and have real fun in the processes," Russel added with a smirk. "But as for why we're here specifically, it's because I saw a guy leave this place and I swear I'm telling you the truth, he flew away! Cardin and I came inside to try and find out something about the guy but the man at the front desk refused to say anything."

"Dove and Skylark are outside looking for the guy," Cardin added. "But enough about us, what are you doing here Jaune?"

"I'm…," _Shit what I'm supposed to tell them!? How about a half Truth? You're here on a date and you stepped out to get something for Tock. That's all you have to say. _"I'm here on a date and I just stepped out to get her something to drink!"

Before Jaune's eyes, a journey of emotions was told through the expressions on the faces of Cardin Winchester and Russel Thrush. At first, both men held an empty blank stare but then there was a spark in their eyes, a flash of understanding that was immediately buried because the reality of the situation was too much for them so they entered a stage of Denial. But the truth could not be denied and from within the pair burst forth a flame as Anger took the stage reigning supreme, as the men cursed their misfortune which left them single. However, soon the fuel was exhausted and the fires died down leaving nothing but cinders as their shouts of rage became pleads, desperate Bargains offered up to whatever god might be watching. And when those gods refused to answer, tears began to form around the eyes of Cardin and Russel's as Depression took the stage and became their only true companion. But the rain didn't last forever and when it subsided the two men wiped away their tears and with a look of solemn Acceptance, they placed their hands on Jaune's shoulder and gave him a look that the swashbuckler couldn't decipher, then they just walked away having learned from their journey through the Stages of Grief and emerging as wiser better men.

"Um, guys where are you going? What just happened?" He called out to them trying to understand what he had just seen.

"Just forget about us and have yourself a good time with your girl," Cardin answered without turning around.

Jaune would never admit it to anyone in the world but at that moment, both Cardin and Russell looked kind of cool… _Unlike me, I was really going to just turn Tock in without even giving her a chance_ to _really explain herself_. With that thought, he shamefully opened up her scroll and began to read her texts.

* * *

_Whit's taking that besom sae long?_ Tock thought to herself as she waited in the room, _Somethings wrong, it shouldn't be taking this lang tae read s__ome texts, whit if… he's sellin` me out?_ It was a horrible thought, but it was the product of the necessary mindset to have when your means of living were right on the border between legal and illegal. That was the very first of many lessons she learned from her grandma when she first started training and now she had an opportunity to put yet another lesson into action, _Never leave yersel' at someone else's mercy, that's whit she taught me 'n' yit that's exactly whit, ah did. Ah placed myself at Jaune's mercy 'n' look whit happened,_ "Damn it! whit wis ah thinking?" Feeling restless she got up and began to walk around the room, originally it was just to stretch out her legs a bit, get rid of some stiffness but despite her innocent intentions, she found herself standing right in front of the wall which separated the room from the outside,_ Never let yer enemy hae th' initiative instead strike solid strike foremaist 'n' end it in one blow... _

A thought then popped into her mind, _It wid be easy tae break thro' this dyke 'n' escape,_ all she'd have to do is channel some aura into her fists and she would be able to tear through the wall and after that, she should still have enough aura to escape… but that would mean having breaking off all contact with Vale and letting the bastards get away with everything, _Ye'r a bounty hunter, nae a hero stoap pretending tae be whit yer nae 'n' let those idealistic idiots throw thair lives awa'. Bit, then whit's th' point? whit wis th' point o' learning howfur tae track 'n' tak' doon th' crooks who wid hae otherwise escaped? Granny aye tellt me nae tae be a hero bit, she made a job takin crooks tae justice just lik' a hero wid!_

Before she could answer her own question, the door opened up and Jaune walked in, "Hey, Tock."

"Jaune, did ye fin' whit ye wur looking fur?" she asked without even turning around to face him.

"Yeah… I did and I'm sorry."

"Whit are ye sorry about?"

"I'm sorry I doubted you, I'm sorry that I forced you to prove yourself to me and most of all I'm sorry that I went off on you as I did. Tock, you didn't deserve any of that… if you want me to just leave and never talk to you again… I understand."

"No." She softly spoke while turning around to face him, "A'm sorry darlin', bit ye'r nae getting any forgiveness fae me, fur ye did nothing wrong."

"What?"

"We're a pair o' strangers ye 'n' ah, forced th'gither by a tragedy that's making us a' a little colder 'n' paranoid. Ye wur just trying tae protect people, th' identical as me. Ah doubted ye 'n' ye doubted me sae we're a' equal in that regard," she said as her cheeks began to heat up.

"Tock," maybe it was just a trick of the light or maybe it was the beer doing its job but at that moment she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. "I-," whatever he was going to say was cut off by a sudden cacophony of alarms and vibrations that were coming from his scroll, _That's the emergency alarm for Beacon! _He quickly opened up his scroll and read the message as Tock watched with concern.

"Whit's it? Is everything alright?" she asked with genuine concern.

"On the day of the Breach, my team was supposed to go to this settlement and help out the local huntsman. It was enough major just helping the guy make his rounds, it was more for our benefit than anything else... the guy is dead and now the settlement is without a Huntsman, my team is being sent there tonight."

Tock made a move towards Jaune and before he could react much less defend himself he became trapped in a hug, "Just go out there 'n' be a hero, bit be safe ye hear? Ye owe me another date tae mak' up fur this clusterfuck ye understand?" he never noticed her slipping her gun into his coat.

He gave a small laugh, "I guess I do owe you."

She then let him go, "Now go oan! Yer team's likely worried sick about ye!"

"Thank you!"

She watched as he ran out the door and soon she was all alone again with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company, then the door opened up and a man dressed just like the receptionist walked in, "I'm sorry ma'am but your time is up. Would you like an extension?"

"Nah, a'm good," She got up to leave but was stopped by the man before she could walk out the door.

"Someone came in earlier looking for you, he gave the receptionist this note with instructions to hand to you," he gave the note to her and then walked away leaving her alone in the room.

She then read the note once, then twice, and then once more just to make sure that she wasn't misunderstanding anything before breaking out into a big smile. It was a happy smile but, not a friendly one rather it was the kind of smile a predator might have before chomping down on a fresh kill, "This is it! this is whit we've bin looking fur 'n' tae think that it wid just drop into mah lap lik' this! oh, ah wish Jaune wur 'ere tae see this, that laddie wid likely be dancing knowing that th' end o' them silver-eye hunting bastards is near! och ah, cannae wait! Thir's aff tae be blood in th' water!"

* * *

**Author's Notes:** 1st off, sorry for the delay, this chapter was supposed to be finished and uploaded over a week ago but, I had to go on a trip to Tampa, Florida and when I got back I got sick. Hell, I'm still rather ill. 2nd the next three or four chapters will be focusing on various groups as they try and make sense of what's going on, so that should be interesting.


	7. Chapter 7

**Captain's Log:**

Sorry but I'm in a bit of a rush so this entry is going to be short and there is so much I want to talk about, though maybe it's for the best I save that stuff for later. To sum it all up, I went on a date today with Tock and it was great, then it wasn't, then it got worse and then somehow even worse and then suddenly turned around and became heartwarming? How did that happen? I don't know and the fact that I found a pistol found in my coat isn't helping, Tock must have slipped it in during our hug so I guess this means that things between me and her are okay now, that's good, we need people like her on our side.

I really appreciate the pistol but I'm not trained in firearms however Ren is and everything that I understand about this mission suggests that we will be there for a while so I'll get him to teach me the basics during our downtime. As for the pistol itself, well… Tock called it a backup weapon but I'm not so sure about that and it's not just because this thing looks like it packs a real punch. It's also because it reminds me of the old flintlocks that pirates are often portrayed having, I get that she has an aesthetic but this had to have been expensive and she just gave it to me without a second thought...

Looks like I'll have to wrap up here, it's time to leave.

* * *

Jaune closed his journal and placed it inside his travel bag, afterward he doubled checked his gear taking special care to triple check the pistol that was now tucked into his belt, until he could get himself a holster he would have to keep it there,_ When I see Ren I should ask him if he has an extra holster_. He then turned his attention to the prosthetic arm still attached to his stump,_ Maybe I should leave it behind, it would only get in the way if I have to fight, and leaving it here would be a good way to save some extra space, that being said what would I use that extra space for? Not to mention that we'll do more than just fighting so I guess I should leave it on for now._ He then took one last look at his bag while going through a mental checklist to make sure that he was properly prepared and once he was satisfied, he took everything that he didn't need and placed it in his locker for safekeeping before walking toward the exit of the locker room

As he walked his scroll vibrated letting him know that someone had sent him a text, assuming that it was his team checking to see where he was, he quickly pulled his scroll and found that he had a message from Yang which he immediately opened and read, _What!? Why is she asking me this? It has nothing to do with… though this could be a good thing. At the very least it can't make things worse as long as I warn her ahead of time. _He then typed out two different messages sending one to Tock and the other to Yang, once that was done he pocketed the scroll and walked out of the locker room where he soon found the rest of his team in the hallway, already donning their combat gear and carrying their luggage while making their way towards him.

"Well it's about time captain, we were about to leave port without ye!" Nora teased Jaune while clinging onto Ren who had an arm wrapped around her waist.

"Enough of that mutinous talk! I was only running late because I had to come back from a date!" Jaune answered back with just a little bit of pride.

Pyrrha was the first to respond to the news, "If I remember correctly her name was Tock, I hope she wasn't too upset about this mission getting in the way," she spoke trying not to sound too disappointed,_ I guess even I can't win them all, but I'm still happy for you Jaune and if things don't work out…_

Unknown to her or to any of the over members of Team JNPR, they were being followed and spied on by Emerald though it wasn't something that she had planned to do. Originally she was just going to pass them by and continue on to the locker room, however that changed the moment Pyrrhas had spoken that name, _Tock!? Surely she doesn't mean the one that Salem wants us to recruit, and what's this about her going on a date with Jaune!? Why out of all the people in Vale would a bounty hunter like her choose to date this wannabe pirate?_ It could just be a waste of time but, if even the smallest chance existed that she could learn something that Cinder would find useful, then it was time well spent.

Jaune felt a little bashful answering his partner's question but he did confess, "Well the date could have gone better… much better. Honestly, the whole thing was nearly a train wreck but somehow things worked out in the end." _And we have a lot to talk about and think about as soon as possible..._

"It couldn't have been that bad, considering the gift she got you," Ren said looking right at the gun tucked into Jaune's belt with some concern. "Leaving it there is dangerous even for a Huntsman. However I still have an old holster, let me check if it will fit," he suggested while holding out his hand for the gun which Jaune eagerly gave him, he then detached himself from his partner and walked into the locker room as Emerald followed them.

"Well it's about time you got something with a little range, I mean your sword is great and all but when all it would take is a single Nevermore to leave you helpless, something needs to change!" Nora exclaimed in her usual over the top fashion.

"This is wonderful and also kind of funny because I was going to talk to you about possibly getting you a backup weapon of some sort. Come to think of it… when did you get it? I know Ren thinks Tock gave it to you but I'd rather not make assumptions," Pyrrha asked with sincere curiosity.

"Well Ren guessed right, Tock asked me if I wanted to spar but when I told her that I left my sword behind she pulled out the gun and then to my surprise she just gave it to me," _After pointing it right at me, seriously alcohol or not I need to talk to her about that shit_. "So, I guess I'll need some firearm training."

"Well it's a good thing Pyrrha's here because let me tell you, Captain, Ren does not have good aim! Hell, I don't even know why he bothers with weapons when he can literally palm strike a King Taijitu to Death!" Nora excitedly announced.

Jaune was flabbergasted, "Wait you mean to tell me that really happened? Ren actually blew the head of a King Taijitu with a move that only exists in fiction! Geez if he can do that, why even bother with weapons at all? Seriously, even Yang hasn't pulled anything like that off and trust me when I say that Ruby has told me some terrifying stories about her!"

"Oh, you better believe that Ren can do whatever Yang can do and more! That is if he wants to, now don't get me wrong! I love my man and his magic hands, especially now since he and I are finally together together but I swear! Sometimes that man is just so lazy!" bemoaned Nora.

"I take offense to that," Ren spoke, having returned from the locker room. "I simply prefer to use my limited aura for defense rather than inefficient attacks. Take for example the King Taijitu you mentioned that I fought back in Initiation, while it is true I destroyed his head it wasn't enough to kill the beast because it still had the other head. Nora was the one who actually killed the thing and without her, I would have been in real trouble," he then handed to Jaune a well worn brown holster with his gun already in it, "This was the holster I used before I got Storm Flower, it not a perfect fit but I hope it serves you well until a better one can be found," he then made his way back to his girlfriend's side.

Jaune took the gift and began to attach it to his belt, "Thanks Ren, alright crew let's not keep the professor waiting."

Pyrrha's eyes widened as she remembered something important she forgot to bring up earlier, "Actually, Professor Greene is already at the settlement, apparently, she was already en route when the message was sent."

"Professor Greene?" Jaune asked inquisitively, _I haven't heard of this professor._

She helped to fill in the gaps, "Well, I only know what Coco told me about her which was that she's a professor for the upper years and teaches Security and Stealth which makes sense given the… situation," she answered as the importance of the mission was starting to fully dawn on her and she wasn't alone. Every member of the group thought the same thing as they continued to make their way through the hallways of Beacon passing by staff, fellow students, and even some of the visiting trainees from the other Academies on their way to the Landing Pad where the Bullhead was waiting for them.

Eventually, someone spoke the question that was on everyone's mind but no one wanted to ask, "But then why send us?" Ren wondered out loud, "We are first-year students about to take on a mission involving a dead Huntsman, logic would dictate that we are not qualified. Yet, this task was placed on us."

"But this was always supposed to be our mission," Pyrrha pointed out.

"No, Ren is right," Nora spoke, catching everyone off guard with how serious she sounded. "They would never entrust a mission like this to a bunch of first years or possibly even upper years, for something this important they should be sending actual Huntsmen, something is going on."

"But they gave RWBY the Mount Glenn mission," Pyrrha pointed out.

"Yeah and look how that turned out," she answered back shocking the whole team with the bluntness of her answer which seemed to catch Nora herself by surprise but she recovered quickly enough to explain what she meant, "Look I am not blaming them but what I'm saying is that it was a mission that should have been handled by Pros."

"Maybe they can't? Sure things aren't as bad as they were at the beginning but the clean up for the Breach is still far from completion, there are still people without power, water, or in some cases even a home, and when you consider that the Vytal Festival that's only a couple months off, W_hy haven't they canceled it? _Well, I don't want to say it but… maybe a nameless settlement isn't exactly the biggest of priorities." The words felt foul in Jaune's mouth and the look his team gave him spoke volumes, _I've let all this Silver Eyed cloak and dagger crap get to me..._

They walked the rest of the way in silence.

* * *

Since infiltrating Beacon Academy Emerald had seen many bizarre sights such as, a robot that looked and kinda acted like an eccentric girl, a dog arriving by mail, that wannabe pirate showing up to the dance in a dress and then turning out to be a good dancer and of course who could forget the Food Fight which put several actual battles to shame in terms of pure intensity. However now she was greeted by yet another entry in her list of rather unusual sights: Mercury Black cowering in front of the door of their dorm room. Granted compared to some of the more exotic entries on her list this would seem to be rather unremarkable however despite how much she hated him even she would begrudgingly admit that her partner, _God I hate that word,_ was not a coward by any definition that existed. That said she would also insist that his bravado was caused by a lack of intellect and basic self-preservation instinct rather than any positive qualities that in her unbiased opinion most certainly did not exist in him.

"What are you doing?" She finally decided to just get it over with and ask the question, consequences be damned.

"Right, now I'm hiding for my life while trying to preserve my family jewels," Mercury quickly answered as he slowly took a step away from the door.

"I can see that, do you mind helping me understand why?" _I swear there is always something going on with this guy, it sometimes feels like he grew up without any friends whatsoever._

"Because Cinder is losing it! And quite frankly I already have enough scars to last a lifetime and a half!"

Emerald sighed and rubbed her temples trying to fight back against the headache that she could already feel coming on, _I got some medicine but it's inside the room._ "Okay, here's an idea. How about you try being helpful and explain to me what happened."

He turned to face her and began his tale of woe, "So I'm just sitting at my desk doing homework wh-"

"Stop. You were doing homework. Really? Really? I get that you don't want to tell me what you were actually doing and I respect that but, at least have the decency of coming up with a lie that could sound plausible."

"Glad to see you have such a high opinion of me but, guess what? I actually was doing homework, what's your excuse for not doing yours!" He pointed at her accusingly. "Or did you forget that we are supposed to be students here?" _That and I enjoy doing homework, it feels normal, and normal is something that pissed off Dad and anything that would piss him off is something I want to try. Though the only way, she'll learn that is over my dead body!_

For a brief moment, there was a look of shock and realization on Emerald's face but she soon squashed it_, Oh Shit, he actually has a point. But the only way he'll ever learn that is over my dead body!_ "I'll have you know that I was doing my actual job which in case you forgot is spying on the brats and I've even brought information for Cinder," she shot back with a smug.

"Bullshit."

"NO! No bullshit! I really do have important information! So just get out of my way!"

"SHUT UP!" a third voice intruded.

Emerald and Mercury turned and found May Zedong the sniper of team BRNZ glaring at them from behind an open door, her signature hat gone revealing to the pair the eye that was normally kept hidden beneath it. It was… large, pale blue with what appeared to be some sort of film covering it and it was looking at them. That dead unnatural eye stared right at them, through them, it made their blood run cold by just casting its foul gaze on them, silencing them with its presence and then the owner of that eye spoke and all heard, "Now listen up you two, either get a room and hate fuck each other to death or shut up!"

"Um, okay… sorry?" Emerald spoke trying to come off as sincere as possible, _Just please look at anything but me! Like Mercury! You can stare at him all you'd like! _

"Fine," May slowly returned to her room, closing the door behind her, the gaze of that eye never moving away from them until the very end.

"Damn that was scary!" Mercury softly declared to no one but himself. _That eye is going to haunt my dreams… unless I kill her! It'll be easy! All I need is a lantern and a pillow. First I'll sneak into her room and shine the lantern's light on that… eye. Then I'll-_

"Merc! Mercury! Snap out of it!" Emerald angrily whispered at him.

"Wha, What!?"

"Move aside so I can talk to Cinder!" She whispered to him and for a moment he just stared at her in complete silence but then without warning he stepped aside and allowed her to pass by. Once she was through the door he, ran down the hallway and made his way to the bullheads, he had a lantern to buy.

Emerald did not know what to expect when she entered the room, now she had borne witness to Cinder's occasional bad moods which were caused when the people around her, Emerald excluded, failed to complete their tasks. However, these past few weeks have been offering quite an unusual situation for her mistress with the Breach being discovered and occurring earlier than scheduled and that whole clusterfuck involving Hazel and his missing bounty hunters which still hasn't been resolved and in fact, has somehow been growing worse and worse ever since that… Peter fellow and his Lost Boys were brought in, _That guy's so weird and the rest of those Lost Boys? Just Creepy._

Looking around the room she soon found her boss, Cinder sitting on a couch just reading a book while drinking tea._ Is this really what scared Mercury? Weird._ "Ma'am I have something to report to you."

"What. Do. You. Want?" her Mistress spoke without even looking at her and only now did Emerald notice that the room was unusually hot which was never a good sign.

Slightly intimidated by Cinder's foul temperament, Emerald unconsciously moved a little closer to the exit and took a moment to regather herself_, Calm down you've seen her bad moods before, just keep it short and respectful and everything will be alright_. "Ma'am, I was able to acquire some information that may prove helpful in untangling the mess caused by Hazel's incompetence." At the very mention of Hazel's name Cinder's eyes began to noticeably twitch, which was followed by a quiver in her mouth, a slight tremble of her hand, then grinding of teeth, and the tea suddenly beginning to boil, all which when brought together created an image of a, admittedly very attractive and scary, container on the verge of bursting._ Shit,_ Emerald thought to herself as she realized that this was what scared Mercury off, Cinder was on the verge of an explosion.

"Well? What is it, Emerald? Or did you come to Waste. My. **Time?**"

"I've learned that the leader of Team JNPR, Jaune Arc is in a relationship with the bounty hunter that Salem wanted us to find. He is dating Tock!"

Cinder stood perfectly still as her mind went into overdrive trying to process the idea that an amputee and wannabe pirate who had no business being in Beacon, or any other Academy for that matter, somehow scored a Badass Huntress who could literally tear the idiot to pieces with her bare hands even if he had both hands and a brain! Intellectually she knew that Emerald would never lie or even joke about something like that but the image was so bizarre she just couldn't believe it,_ I could understand a one night stand but a serious relationship?_ "Are you sure?"

"I came across team JNPR on my way to the lockers and overheard them talking abo-!"

"Get. To. The. Point."

"Jaune went on a date with Tock, I confirmed it with Lie Ren who further informed me that the two are in a serious relationship that has been going on since the Breach," she then waited for her mistress to say something, anything.

"Heheheh," Cinder couldn't help but laugh just a little, the thought was just too absurd not to laugh "Heheheheh," she got up from her seat and began to walk around the room going nowhere in particular but, walking always did help her to think.

Emerald meanwhile was terrified beyond belief as she watched as her mistress began suddenly laughing to herself while pacing around the room. From her point of view, she felt like a prey cornered by a predator who was about to have its way with her, which admittedly was a situation that she had fantasized about in the past, but never like this!_ My fantasies were far sexier than this! This is just terrifying! _The poor girl briefly considered running out of the room, _But then she'll think that I'm being insubordinate and punish me and not in a way that I'll like! And using my Semblance on her would be even worse!_ Thus, with no other options available to her, poor Emerald cowered in the corner hoping that if she made herself small enough Cinder wouldn't notice her.

"Emerald," Cinder finally spoke, nearly giving the poor girl a heart attack.

"Y- yes!"

"Leave," as soon as the word left her lips, Emerald made a mad dash to the door and bolted down the hallway as Cinder just stared on with a surprised and rather impressed look on her face as the thief ran away. "Huh, what's her problem? Well, no matter." She then pulled out her scroll, dialed a certain number, and after a few brief rings, the call was answered.

"Hello, dear employer! Peter, is at your service!" answered the deceptively youthful voice of the leader of the Lost Boys.

Activating a voice changing app on her scroll Cinder replied, "I've just received confirmation that your earlier report was indeed true. As a result, you will be rewarded accordingly."

"Well, I suppose I've heard worse apologizes and I do enjoy extra cash, so what now? We did find the croc as you asked and that was all we were hired for. So tell me, is this where we part ways, or do you have something else for us?" he inquired.

"I want to hire you and all of your Lost Boys for an extended job and I'm willing to pay you in advance."

"Alright then, just tell us what you need us to do and consider it done boss!"

"Excellent," Cinder couldn't help but smile as a new plan formed in her wicked head, _Setbacks are just opportunities waiting to be exploited._

* * *

The settlement was not very large, not by any stretch of the imagination, in fact, it was so small that it did not even have a proper name, instead, it was issued an ID number that would serve as a placeholder until the community proved that it could survive and thrive. It was a cold cynical system but it was also one firmly planted in reality. However it would be inaccurate to say that Vale didn't care for these fledgling villages or the people within, it just had to be practical with how resources were handled. For example, it would be too expensive and require too much valuable space to build a landing pad in the middle of the village, it was far more sensible to build a centralized airfield and create dirt roads to connect all the settlements and allow food, medicine, building materials and in this particular case Huntsmen-in-training to be delivered by car the rest of the way.

Riding in the back of an open-air truck Team JNPR kept a steady vigil with weapons drawn and ready in case of any Grimm or maybe even opportunistic Bandits. Even normally joyous and bombastic Nora Valkyrie was now stone-faced as she gripped her grenade launcher while keeping watch for anything that might try and interfere with their righteous mission, then the tension was broken when Jaune's scroll began ringing.

"Um, Captain? Are you going to answer that?" Nora asked.

"Do you think I should? Given the situation?" he asked, not sure about the proper procedure for this sort of thing.

Pyrrha couldn't help but giggle at how perplexed he looked right now, "Don't worry, we'll let you know if we come under attack." She struck a little pose with her rifle to help drive the point.

Ren then chimed in, "The local Militia regularly patrols this area so we are unlikely to see Bandits and as for the Grimm, they aren't known for stealth."

Seeing their point Jaune answered, "Hello… Why? It was because she deserved to know… What?... You don't know that for sure… Tock… No, but I want to."

Nora turned to her boyfriend and whispered, "Um, should we be listening to this? It sounds kinda serious." Ren simply shrugged his shoulders and with a wave of his hand pointed out that even if they wanted to give their captain some privacy, it was impossible to do so unless they wanted to throw themselves off of a moving truck. Recognizing his point Nora went back to awkwardly sitting through a private conversation.

Seemingly unaware by the discomfort his conversation was making everyone he kept going, "What do you need me to do… I'll know? Don't say that… I'll see you later," The call ended and Jaune was left alone with his thoughts.

"Um, so… is Tock okay?" Pyrrha asked not sure if it was even an appropriate question to ask.

And just like that he was dragged away from his thoughts and back into the real world, "Yeah, why you'd ask?" he spoke in a rather pathetic attempt to deflect.

"Well, it just sounded like you were having a rather serious conversation, that's all., She politely responded.

"Alright Jaune spill the beans! You may have fooled everyone else but Nora Valkyrie can smell lies a mile away even if they come spilling from the mouth of our fearless Captain! What's going on!"

He tried to say something, anything but he couldn't form the words, "I… I," _I can't tell them now! They'll just be distracted while we enter what could very well be a war zone! But, if I don't say anything then they'll be distracted anyway and they'll know if I'm lying… even if I could get away with a lie it would make the moment when I do have to tell the truth even worse!_

Ren, seeing the stress on his friend's face spoke up, speaking not just to Jaune but to everyone at once, "Please give me your hands." He held up his hand which was soon grabbed by Nora and shortly afterward by Pyrrha as well who understood what he was going to do.

However Jaune hesitated at first, _This isn't the time or place… but then when, where? If Ren is going to use his Semblance like I think he is, then this might be the moment I was looking for._ He looked at his crew and read the looks on their faces and found it to be painfully easy to do. They wanted to help him, they were asking him to trust them and he would... steeling himself he took Ren's hand and then felt nothing or rather it would be more accurate to say that he felt the absence of something. It was hard to describe, it was like the world had suddenly become smaller, less mysterious, less beautiful, neither cold nor hot, just a little bit emptier. Something in the back of Jaune's mind acknowledged that he should be scared that he should be trying to hold back because of how they might react but it was getting harder and harder to hear that voice. Then it was gone there leaving nothing but logic and clarity left and so he did what he should have done hours ago.

He told them everything starting with how after the Breach he got he left with Tock to get drunk which somehow had led to marriage, how he originally planned to just train with her to find out what she knew about The Breach before realizing that he enjoyed the time he spent with her. He even told them unimportant details like how it was her who came up with the idea for the weapon that Ruby was now building for him and he talked about the date. How he was followed, what were Tock's true plans for the outing, how he nearly fought her and then nearly turned her in, why he now had a gun, and most important of all: The Silver Eyes.

At no point did his team interrupt Jaune, even to ask questions. Perhaps it was Ren's Semblance that was to blame for that, maybe in addition to erasing emotions it also suppressed other inclinations or maybe it had an extra effect of making people more passive, or was an unintentional consequence of a lack of emotions? Ren honestly didn't know nor did he care, there were simply too many other things that he felt were so much more important. Like slowly and carefully undoing the effects of his Semblance, sure he could just turn it off but then that would only result in repressed emotions coming back in full force rendering everything he just did pointless, however, if he did it slow enough then everyone would have an easier time working through the motions as they came.

Soon the process was done and everything was back to normal, Pyrrha was the first to speak, "Wow, Jaune… that's a lot to process, but why didn't you tell us? We could've helped, we would have helped! There was no reason to keep any of us in the dark!"

"Because of me… I… um?" Jaune was drawing a blank._ Why did I keep it to myself? It's not like they would have been in danger and having the extra help would have gone a long way, hell we might have been able to catch that guy who ruined my date… and get some answers… Then in a moment of complete clarity, Jaune answered: _"Because I'm a fucking idiot."

"You said it, not me!" Nora declared. "But yeah, I mean what on earth were you thinking? Hell, Ren and I have been hanging out with that Cecco guy, and let me tell you right now, he cannot hold his alcohol!"

"It's true, just three cups and he'll tell you virtually anything you want," Ren confirmed.

"I've seen Cardin and Russel hang out with Mason and as for Turley… I think he and Blake have been recommending books to each other," Pyrrha added.

Jaune almost couldn't believe what he had just heard, for a moment he looked away from his team and whispered to no one in particular, "Damn… why did I have to go and make everything else so complicated?" He then felt a friendly hand on his shoulder and saw that it belonged to his partner, Pyrrha who was fondly regarding him.

"Jaune meeting you at Beacon was one of the biggest surprises of my life and while I won't say that I never had doubts about you or that I haven't ever been frustrated with you, I will say that I've always admired how you've never let anything, not even a lack of real transcripts stop you from at least trying not just for yourself but for everyone else as well. You have the heart of a Huntsman and I trust you, Captain."

"Pyrrha…" Jaune felt like he could cry.

"Um, what was that part about lacking real transcripts? Cause that sounded important!" Nora suddenly cut in.

"I guess he is a pirate," Ren added.

"OH! That is So Cool! Like wow and I thought me and Ren had the craziest backstories since we were bandits for a while and probably maybe definitely ate a guy but he was an asshole so it's okay! Though in hindsight the old woman who fed us that meal could have been lying then again it most certainly didn't taste like any meat I ever ate before and we never did see that guy again," Nora ranted ignoring the disturbed looks of Jaune and Pyrrha.

Ren clarified, "We had a stint as pickpockets."

It did not escape Jaune or Pyrrha's attention that Ren didn't deny the part about being a cannibal, _That's a joke there's no way it could be true then again… I don't know much about either's past and if Blake could be a former White Fang… no! They are my friends! They would never ever…_

Before they could finish that thought the wheezing hacking voice of the truck driver called out to them, "Oi we're almost there! In fact, you can see the settlement just up ahead!" and the driver laughed to himself as team JNPR moved around to get the best view possible.

The settlement itself looked like something straight out of Professor Oobleck's books on the early days of Vale, the buildings were made from a combination of stone, wood, even straw and were of various sizes and shapes. There was a stone-paved road that ran through town and a rather adorable fence made from both stone and wood surrounding the place, the citizens of the settlement were dressed in simple but undeniably modern clothes that made them all look more like tourists rather than settlers and a few clear but unmistakable examples of modern technology such as scrolls and street lights did not help with this image. However, the most interesting thing about the town was what the members of Team JNPR didn't see...

"There's nothing wrong with this place!" Nora loudly lamented. "I was ready to have to fight an endless hoard of Grimm or Bandits or Grimm riding to battle on their Bandit mounts! But this! Where's the fire? Where are the panicking villagers? Where is the handsome stranger with a mysterious past that connects somehow with the identity of my Parents!?" Settlers began gathering to listen and laugh at Nora's ever-growing rant which became more and more bizarre as she continued.

"Before you ask, yes. Nora is doing this on purpose," Ren answered before the rest of his team could ask.

For a moment, Jaune considered stopping Nora however that thought soon died, _She's not hurting anyone hell, they actually seem like it._ Instead, he took the opportunity to take stock of the settlement and soon noticed several irregularities with the most obvious being how the buildings in the front were made of mostly of wood like the wall but the closer he got to the center the of the settlement the more was used in the construction of the building and at the very center, the buildings were mostly stone, _Is this normal? I grew up in an already established town so I wouldn't know if there was something off here._

"Land-ho you Buccaneers! About time you all got here!" The entirety of team JNPR turned to see an older barefooted woman in a dapper suit, wearing a simple straw hat which was covering her braided red hair and on her back was some sort of cylindrical device with a dangling chain coming off of the side. The woman walked up the team who had gathered in front of her, "As you kids probably guessed I'm Professor Greene and the Huntress in charge of this mission, now we don't have much time so follow me and I'll show you around town while you ask your questions,"

She then walked away with JNPR following after her.

Jaune was the first to ask a question, "We got a message that the huntsmen station here died, what happened and why is everyone so… nonchalant by it?"

The professor gave a little chuckle before answering, "It's because the guy who died was over 80 years old and his cause of death was a heart attack!" She paused just to soak in the look of disbelief that came over the students before continuing, "That guy hasn't been the person in charge of protecting this part of the map for the past 20 years!" She then pointed at a building, "That's the Clinic, I'll save the introductions with all the important people for tomorrow for now just remember the buildings I point out okay? Now next question!" The tour continued.

"Then why did we get an alert?" asked a somewhat confused Pyrrha who was seeking clarifications.

"Yeah, the guy never turned in his retirement forms and as a result was still listed as an active Huntsman. Your original mission was going to be helping the Huntress actually in charge of this area with some patrols which you're still going to do but you'll be patrolling with me instead."

"Why aren't we going with the Huntress in charge?" Ren asked.

"Because she's in Vale General Hospital," Professor Greene quickly recognized the looks of concern that was now present on the faces of the students before her, "Don't worry she's not there because of anything bad, in fact, it's the opposite. Her sister is giving birth and wants her to be there so she decided to finally cash in the vacation days she had saved up. By the way, that building over to your left is where you'll be staying, now let's keep going!"

Jaune asked another question, "So the mission is the same just but we'll be learning from you instead?"

"Pretty much! The Professor answered, "Though in addition to the patrols I'm also going to have you guys help out with some construction, so in a way, you guys will be getting a sneak peek into my class! So consider this extra credit for a class that you haven't taken yet!" She joked.

Nora, however, wasn't joking, "But we will get the extra credit when we do take your class, right?"

"Sure, why not? Now let's keep going!" and so the tour continued.

By the time the tour was over the sun had already set but if there was one good thing to be said about life on a settlement it would be that the view at night was truly breathtaking and for many, it was a source of inspiration. Countless poems and songs had been written about the sight of a pitch-black sky filled with so many stars shining so bright and ever beckoning but sadly forever out of reach all while the ever-present shattered moon watched from on high. It was for this reason that many of the great artists hailed from settlements like this one but eventually, the siren call of a soft bed and a sweet dream overcame the wonder of the night sky and welcome sleep did descend on the village.

* * *

In his dreams, Jaune laid defeated but not too terribly upset "Hmmm ye really made wirk hard fur that one love," spoke Dream Tock as she stood victorious over her fellow pirate, "Bit in th' end, ah will be taking th' spoils." She then sat right on his waist and placed her hands on his chest digging her fingers right into his shirt, "Let's start by taking a look at yer chest," and like that she tore his shirt right open revealing his muscled abdomen and with a predatory smile began to explore every inch of it with her hands, "Sae tells me, is that a gun in yer poking me or urr ye just happy tae see me? Ah, guess ah will just hae tae fin' out!" She shifted positions so she was now sitting on his chest facing away from him thus giving Jaune a perfect view of her muscular backside, then he felt her hand on his pants undoing his belt, "Wake up kids, Wake up, WAKE UP!"

Team JNPR awoke to the sight of Professor Greene standing at the door with a deadly serious look on her face, "Get ready for combat," before the words even finished leaving her mouth the team leaped right of their beds and began grabbing their equipment putting on only what they needed and leaving everything else behind. Within only a couple of minutes, the entry of Team JNPR stood before her dressed in an odd combination of sleepwear and protective clothing but still very much armed, alert, ready, and awaiting instructions. _Damn, they're quicker than my team ever was... then again I guess it's just a result of having to work a bit harder than everyone else,_ Thought the Professor as she eyed Jaune's empty sleeve.

"Ma'am what's going on?" the young captain finally asked.

"Several fires suddenly started and while they are being put out we'll be fending off any Grimm that might come by. Understood?" She answered while taking off the cylinder that she had been carrying on her back, once she yanked it free of its harness she grabbed the chain that protruded from the device and focused some aura into it causing blades to emerge from the device, "You know the deal, protect yourselves first, the civilians second, property last and kill everything that tries to fight you."

"We'll break their legs and drink from their skulls!" Nora answered for everyone and without any further words they went down the stairs.

* * *

A few moments after they left, the window to the room opened up and one of the town watchmen entered and began searching through the place not caring if he knocked something over, or giving a damn about the smell of ash or the Huntsmen fighting the Grimm to protect the once sleepy settlers who were now wide awake and busy trying to put out the fires. All he cared about was the object of his search and he soon found it, lying right on Jaune's bed and hidden just beneath the blanket was the cheap prosthetic that served as the boy's arm and hand. He then grabbed the fake arm and leaped right out of the window landing safely thanks to a little bit of aura channeled into his leg. After checking to see if the coast was clear, he then pulled out his scroll and made a call.

"Slightly, is it time? Did you find it?" spoke the receiver.

"I got the arm Curly, start the car and let Peter know," Slightly didn't even wait for Curly to answer back before ending the call and putting the scroll away. He then got into a sprinting position and allowed his aura control causing his body to shine for just a brief moment as his disguise flickered out of existence revealing a stout young man with brown feathers in his hair and arms along with bloodstains on his jacket. Using his perfect night vision he plotted his route back to a jeep hidden inside the woods where Curly was waiting for him, he then sent all the aura he could spare into his legs.

*WhrrrrrRRR**RR...***

He kicked off narrowly avoiding the spinning blades of Professor Greene's prized weapon and without looking back, he just ran into the woods and the cover of the night as the Huntress watched him flee. However she wasn't done just yet, instead, she pulled her weapon back to her and aimed using her own Semblance to peer into the dark and track him. She lined up her shot, pulled her arm back, sent some aura into her weapon bringing the saw life as its blade began spinning with thirsty delight and then-

"HELP!" screamed a civilian who now found himself with his back to a wall and a massive Ursa standing before him with its paw raised high getting ready to end his life.

Without a second of hesitation, Anne Greene spun toward the source of the voice and sent her weapon screaming through the air and into the chest of an Ursa Major tearing it to pieces just before it could end the life of the man. Then with a quick tug of her wrist, the saw came back to her and she found herself at a crossroads, one option was that she could go after that suspicious man and fully entrust the defense of the village to the kids or she could stay in the settlement and continue to help_. First things first I got to take care of this place before I can even consider going after that guy. _She secured her weapon and went to check on the poor man who was fine and extremely grateful, afterward she restarted her search for any Grimm that might have made their way past the defenders and into the village and found to her pleasure that JNPR was swiftly dealing with the Grimm. The settlement would survive this night any damage caused by either the fire or the monsters would be repaired but she still couldn't help but experience an ever-growing feeling of concern as she tried to make sense of the events in her mind. _Fires suddenly break out and a man disguised as a watchman escapes into the forest after leaping through the window of the room that those kids were staying at? There's a connection no doubt about that. But what exactly is it and how much do those kids know?_

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Okay so there is quite a bit to get through but I'll manage. First off I'm going to start with an announcement: At a predetermined point in the story, there will be a Hiatus as I revise the story to Expand some chapters and more importantly fix any consistency issues. When I start I will publish a placeholder chapter detailing how far into the revision I'm in. When I'm done, it will be replaced by a proper chapter.

Now for something less serious: The names "Slightly," and "Curly," are taken from the original story of Peter Pan and are the names of two of the Lost Boys. For those of you who are fans of the movie Hook, please rest assured that Rufio will make an appearance. As for Anne Greene, her name and position are taken from the book: After the Fall which is a canon story of Team CFVY and what they were up to after the fall.

As for Anne's weapon, Google: Flying Guillotine

Now let's talk about that scene in Beacon's Hallway with May Zedong. To be brief it was a parody of Edgar Allan Poe's short story titled: The Tell-Tale Heart (Read it seriously it's a million times better than what you just read).

Finally, let's talk about those phone calls that Jaune where I only gave you half the conversation, don't worry you'll soon find what they were about.

Thank you for your time.


	8. Chapter 8

Today, with one maybe two exceptions, had been a rather lackluster day in the life of this receptionist which was an odd thing to think considering how he was also a part of the Red Axe gang. Though perhaps the lack of excitement was simply the price for living within spitting distance of one of the most prestigious Huntsmen Academy in Remnant. Personally despite what some of his colleagues might say, he thought that a little boredom was a fair price to pay to be able to go to sleep without having to worry that his body would still be in one piece and after the Breach, yeah he was grateful for the existence of Beacon even if one of those students was smoking hot blond with the most vicious right hook he has ever seen and felt.

The opening of a door caught his attention and he saw walking out of one of the rooms a green-scaled Faunus that had earlier rented a room with some blond one-armed guy that he assumed was her boyfriend. Though that guy had left not too long ago looking pretty upset so maybe he was an ex-boyfriend now. Either way, a couple having spat wasn't something that he'd normally care about, in fact, it was something that happened more often than most would think, but then that creep dressed in green showed up and asked him to deliver a message to her making things just a little more interesting. So despite what the ever-present voice of common sense told him, he decided to look at her for a little while from behind his red-tinted sunglasses, this proved to be a mistake. She saw him look and immediately started walking right up to his desk with a gleeful skip in her step while flashing a smile that allowed him to see and despite the distance notice how big those teeth were, he immediately turned away. I'll just ignore her and hopefully, dat freak will just leave.

It didn't work and not only did it not work but it somehow made things worse as she immediately caught on to what he was doing and quickened her pace leaving no doubt in his mind that it was he that she was coming for. Not wanting to have to deal with a woman that he slowly believing to be a damn psychopath he tried to futilely hide behind his desk but his actions only seemed to be making her happier and therefore scarier, soon she reached his desk and began to stare him down, Alright remember what da boss said: Most freaks are just posers. So he tried to stand up straight and return the stare and his reward for his bravery was a nice big smile exposing allowing him to see that her teeth were much bigger than he first thought and were oddly sharp-looking to boot, Welp looks like Junior was wrong.

"Ye dinnae hae tae stand up fur me," her voice carrying a small predatory growl, the man immediately looked away and sat down on his seat which he then immediately regretted as she was now staring down right at him making him feel oh so very small. "Sae ah hae just one question fur ye, who wis it that left me th' message 'n' kin ye describe them?"

"L- look it was some young asshole in green who called himself Peter," He nervously answered, Please just go away!.

"That's it? He wis young 'n' liked green? Whit did that laddie look lik'?"

"Brown short slightly curly hair and eyes and a face that made him look like a kid! He just came here asking me for your name, I told him to fuck off and then he got a call, once dat was done he wrote da note and paid me to make sure you got it!"

"Is that all? Are ye sure that thare isnae something else ye lik' tae tell me?" She slightly leaned over the desk as she said this while placing her hands on the surface giving him the impression that she might just leap over it and lunged at him if she didn't like what she heard, it was an intimidation tactic that he recognized and now respected more than ever.

"Yes! Please I'm telling you dat is all that happened," he leaned as far back as he could to try and get some distance between himself and her as his situation finally dawned on him, She's a Huntress! Just like dat blond bitch!

"Thanks," and to his great relief, she turned around and walked right out of the place while typing out something on her scroll.

He watched her walk out of the place and it was only when he was certain she wasn't coming back did he finally allow himself to relax, "Seriously why are all Huntress' so damn scary… she was kinda hot though and da way she just so completely dominated... wait! Am I a sub?" With the rest of the shift ahead of him he sat down to consider what he had possibly just learned about himself.

* * *

Tock was not happy. Our former gaffer hired someone tae fin' us? How come thay wid go sae far just tae fur us 'n' that guy thay hired, th' way he wis described he sounded lik' that bastard, Peter! if it's him then a've git no doubts that our gaffer did hae something tae dae wi' th' attack which means that me 'n' mah crew ur a part o' this! The note felt heavy in her pocket, Tae think ah wis happy whin ah git it. She quickened her pace, the sooner everyone was together the sooner they could form a plan, the sooner they could take care of their previous employer and the sooner she could get an answer to one question that was bugging her, Why was Jaune followed instead of me? She channeled some Aura into her legs and ran as fast as she could back to the hotel.

When she got back she discovered apart from herself only Mason had made it back and was already preparing for a long night of planning by busying himself with cleaning the trash from the floor. For a moment she felt a pang of anger since the others hadn't arrived yet but she pushed that feeling back down and grabbed a broom to help him clean and work some frustration out, "Where th' others at?" she asked.

Mason stopped what he was doing and gave her a surprised look, "Didn't you get the other texts? Cecco and Turley are out buying some food for the meeting, by the way, can you help me move this couch?" he asked as he placed himself on one end of the couch.

That answer did wonders for her nerves, "A've mist hae missed them while ah wis running 'ere, bit kin ye blame me?" she asked as she grabbed the other end of the couch. Together they were able to easily move the thing away from the wall revealing even more garbage that was hiding behind the furniture as well as some extra Lien. "We've git a lot tae talk about 'n' a'm aye trying tae wrap mah head around it a'," she spoke while pocketing the Lien and sweeping the trash into a dustpan Mason was holding. Once the pan was filled Mason deposited the content into a trash bag before returning to help Tock push the Couch back into place. When that was finished they moved on and quickly checked the rest of the room to see if anything else needed to be done only sitting on the couch when done.

"So, what's wrong?" Mason asked her purposely waiting till after the work was done and she had a chance to work some stress out.

"Well, Jaune 'n' ah hud a bit… o' a rough moment,'' she looked at Mason and saw from his expression that being vague wasn't going to work here. "Look whit happened wis that he didnae lik' bein' kept in th' dark sae he demanded tae know whit wis going oan. Sae ah tell him, then we argued, we made up 'n' then ah nearly blew it again!"

"Oh shit, really? Damn, I liked those guys but you said that you nearly blew it. So does that mean that things are alright now?" He asked rather hopefully.

*Brrrz*

Tock grabbed her scroll and read the message as Mason watched. Once she was done she place the scroll on the table in front of them and turned to her friend, "Jaune just sent a warning that one o' his friends wis gonnae ca' me soon 'n' he asked me tae tell her everything."

"Huh… Well, I guess we've been putting that off for far too long, either way, more help is always a good thing!" Mason's cheer soon died when he saw a look of regret come over Tock's face, "What's wrong Captain?"

She didn't look at him, instead, she stared at the scroll for a bit before reaching into her pocket and pulling out the note and placed it next to the scroll, "This wis a note given tae me by a guy hired by our former gaffer, ah asked th' guy at th' desk fur a description 'n' he described a manchild dressed in green."

"Manchild dressed in… wait! Are you telling me that he hired that fucking psychopath and his band of wannabe mercenaries to find us! Why? Why would… oh, oh shit." It was finally dawning on Mason what was going on, "We…no, it far too early to assume anything after all the timing between the Reaper and the Breach could just have easily been a coincidence."

A light bulb went off in Tock's head, "That's right! a' this time we hae bin assuming dat th' two wur planned th'gither, bit whit if thay weren't! whit if th' reason that they're looking fur us is fur things aren't going according tae whatever peely-wally plan thay ave? whit if th' reason that thay hired Peter is that he'll dae anythin' fur attention !"

The door suddenly opened up as both Cecco a Turley walked inside carrying some bags of food and drinks but, they both stopped in their tracks when they saw the oddly inspired moods of their other two teammates, "Are we going to have a meeting or are two of you finally going to write that silly novel of your's?"

"Now listen 'ere that novel is a bonny story o' pirates in th' modern-day fixin a mystery 'n' finding love! Now jokes aside grab a spot oan th' couch 'n' sit-down, we gots loads tae about," Tock said as she pointed some at the recently cleaned couch.

*Ring*

Cecco and Turley both looked at the scroll with an annoyed expression on their face and then turned to Tock who was reaching to grab the offending device. "If it is not important then just decline the call," Turley suggested with Cecco nodding in agreement.

Ignoring the protests of both men Tock grabbed the scroll, answered the call and quickly brought the speaker to her mouth, "Could ye hauld yer horses fur a second love, ah gotta git th' boys settled foremaist 'n' afterward a'd lik' tae pat yer ca' oan speaker if that okay whit ye? It's? Cheers!." She then without ending the call put the scroll back down and turned to her men, "A'right, a' o' ye sit down! noo we git hings tae blether about aye? Bit here's th' catch! we ain't gonnae dae this alone nae if any o' us wants tae see this thro'! Now a'm gonnae murdurr two birds wi' one stone 'n' explain whit's going oan tae baith ye 'n' her at th' identical time, then we gonnae decide whit tae dae next! Aye?"

"Aye aye Captain!" The crew said together as they all sat down and watched their Captain hit the speaker button on the scroll, "Thanks fur waiting love, ah hope ye hae time tae spar cause this is aff tae tak' awhile ."

"Don't worry about me, just tell me everything I need to know about the whole silver eye business," Yang answered back.

Tock with the help of her crew, who would jump in to clarify, told Yang all that they knew starting with what they did for a living and how they were contacted to do a job. They explained their reasoning for the actions they took before, during and after the job. She explained her relationship with Jaune and her crew told Yang about the time they each spent with the other members of JNPR as well as anyone else from Beacon that she could contact, finally ending with how she got the note and her suspicions about the roles he and her crew may have played in creating the Breach.

Tock, however, chose not to tell Yang about the argument she had with Jaune or about Peter. We dinnae even know if it's th' Peter we know or just another asshole in green.

"That's… a lot to take in and quite frankly I'm not ready to trust any of you just yet," Yang sighed. "However Jaune is my sister's best friend and assuming that this isn't an elaborate joke then somehow also your husband… dear god, I'm gonna need you to explain that one again when this is all done." She paused for a moment to breathe and then continued, "However I do know that he would never do anything to hurt her so… I guess I'll be taking you on your words for now. I also suppose that's it only fair that I tell you what happened on my side of things."

Yang's story was considerably shorter in comparison which was something that Tock fully expected, however, what she and her crew didn't expect was just how involved these kids were and how far back the events that lead to Breach went. The robberies, the Docks, the White Fang, the stolen Atlas equipment, the Woman who snuck into CCT during the dance, Mount Glenn and the Breach but, most of all Yang emphasized how the actions of her team made the train left early and how she along with her teammates and Jaune's team believed that that the masterminds weren't done yet.

Yang did not tell them who had the Silver Eyes or that her father was coming to Beacon.

"Whit th' hell is wrong wi' yer town, yer cops, 'n' th' Headmaster? Howfur in Remnant did this go unnoticed 'n' unchallenged fur sae lang 'til 'twas tae late?" Tock loudly asked, not really expecting a response of any sort.

Yang blinked once then twice followed with a deep breath and with a big smile loudly declared "Oh thank God I'm not the only one who was thinking that! Seriously my Team got a reputation for meddling but every single break, in this case, came because of something we did! Were the cops at the Docks? No, it was us the meddling teenagers who had to stop them! Did cops ever discover that Torchwick and the White Fang were getting all buddy with each other? Nope! That was us again! The stolen equipment? Take a wild guess who found it! And our Professors are constantly on our back especially Glynda but did she ever think that maybe we'd relax a bit if the people in charge did their fucking job for once! And the Mount Glen Mission! Why!? Just why did they send us? Why send students at all where you think a terrorist base might be, especially when you have an actual army available to use?"

"Well, a Huntress-in-training is still a force that cannot be taken lightly, however you are right, That was a task that should have never been given to a first-year team no matter how good they were. We need to assume that the police are compromised." Turley flatly stated.

"Whoa, I know I was ranting about them for a few seconds ago, but can you really just assume that based on my story alone?"

"I've been using my scroll to double-check your story just like I assume you've been double-checking ours and you're right to complain. Sure the police have limits even before bureaucracy is accounted for but the level of sheer incompetence on display here is mind-boggling. There can be no doubt, the police are in the pockets of our former employer, that's or they simply are that dumb," Turley spoke his voice grim as he let the implications sink in.

"So we're really on our own," said Mason.

"Maybe not!" Yang spoke up catching everyone's attention. "So maybe the cops were being paid off or maybe blackmailed but do you think for a moment that they would still be on board after the Breach?"

"Sorry, tae break it tae ye lassie bit any cop that wid ave helped us wid hae confessed by noo 'n' th' others likely either hae something that thay dinnae wantae lose or just dinnae care. Bit beacon is different ain't it? sure th' professors hae bin twiddling thair thumbs bit thay hae bin on yer side or at th' least approve o' whit ye'r daein'."

Yang gave a brief chuckle, "You'd think that but we've been getting into nonstop trouble with the professors. Especially Goodwitch, I swear that woman would place all of us in permanent detention if this was some kind of high school."

It suddenly dawns onto Cecco what Tock was trying to get at, "You would've no should've been expelled."

"What!? It can't be that bad!" Yang declared.

"The Docks are a bit of an iffy gray spot but the rally? The highway chase and the fight with the robot right in the middle of the city, that's the kind of shit that gets you expelled, blacklisted and possibly arrested. Hell, I got booted out of a minor academy because I damaged Dean's car in an accident," Cecco gave off a hearty chuckle "Ah good times."

"Maybe you should've had a princess in your team as Yang does, I've heard that they are pretty influential," Mason jokes.

"Please, Weiss is an heiress, not a princess," said Yang, rather confused.

"Weiss? I was talking about your teammate Blake," Mason responded.

"What?" Blake's not a princess! I'd know, though… She is awfully secretive of pretty much everything about herself, so I suppose it makes sense that she could still be hiding something… despite promising to be open and honest… goddammit, Blake."

Turley pressed a few buttons on his scroll and spoke up, "I just sent you a file on the Belladonna family of Menagerie, since the White Fang is an issue trying to get some sort of assistance from them would help."

"Alright I just got the file and I'm downloading it now but don't expect much, Blake is many things but she doesn't keep secrets just to keep secrets. If she didn't tell us anything it's because there is a reason, but no matter what happens I'll let you guys know what happened so you better keep me in the loop."

"We will 'n' ye better up yer training cause thare ain't na wey that this ends wi'out a rumble," Tock replied ending the call and eliciting a huge sigh of relief from her, before addressing her crew "Thank god that worked out, a'd hate tae imagine whit wid happen if she just went ahead 'n' reported us."

"Now what?" asked Cecco.

"This is whit a'm waantin' tae happen, a'm waantin' tae ca' Jaune, then a'm waantin' tae eat 'n' finally, a'm wanting' tae come up wi' a plan afore cawin that number," she pointed at the note still on the table. "Does a'body object?" She waited for a bit and when no one objected she grabbed her scroll and walked towards the front door, "A'm gonnae step out fur a bit, ah will come back ben wance a'm dane. Meanwhile, ye a' kin start eating."

* * *

Tock was never a person prone to sentimentality not that she ever had anything against it or against one who embraced it but, it just was something that she did not do. However, stepping outside she took a moment to just look around for a bit and found herself engaging in that every sentimental behavior as she for the very first time noticed just how late it was. Haes it bin sae lang atween now 'n' th' bullhead station? She thought back to the beginning of her day and mentally traced her steps from when she left the hotel to when she came back, from there her thoughts naturally drifted to the city itself. She compared and contrasted Vale to she remembered it before and during the Breach to how it was now and made note of the differences. For the most part, the city was fully rebuilt, a true testament to the resilience of the Four Kingdoms of Remnant and their status as the bastions of both Human and Faunus race. Mostly humans though, spoke a justified and bitter part of her mind that she brushed off desiring to think instead about warmer subjects.

Perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised when her mind eventually began to center on Jaune, Whit even are ye tae me? Legally he was her husband but that had been an alcohol-induced accident that was going to be fixed. Despite helping him train he wasn't an apprentice though there was something attractive about that thought, though it could just be the scandalous nature of being married to your student that was pulling her in. She did find him physically attractive just like how he found her attractive and from their interactions she could tell that a friend or at the very least a type of comradery could've organically formed had the two met under different circumstances. Sae, friends wi' benefits? Na, that doesn't feel right either.

She mulled it over in her head, Ah dinnae love him, in fact, ah barely know him. Sae then how come ah spend sae much time wi' him? How come did ah huv a go tae keep him safe, how come did ah give him mah gun? ah guess ah will just hae tae fin' out. She pulled out her scroll and dialed his number and the moment he answered she began to talk,

"Hello," Jaune spoke his voice sounding clear despite the distance between them.

"We git tae talk, Jaune," Tock spoke her voice portraying no emotion

"Why,?"

"That lassie ye said wid ca', well ah just cam oot o' a lang discussion wi' her 'n' a'm wanting' tae-"

Jaune cut her off, "It was because she deserved to know."

A small smile formed on her face as she imagined him getting a little flustered trying to defend himself, "Ah wanted tae ta thank ye fur telling her."

"What?"

Gods even his confusion sounds cute, "These bygone few weeks hae bin a real eye-opener fer me, a've fucked up Jaune, a'm a wee bit responsible fur this mess..."

"You don't know that for sure," he quickly answered back.

"Bit ye dinnae need tae see th' hail map tae know where it's pointing ye. Even if whit ah did hud hee haw tae dae wi' whit happened it doesn't chaynge th' fact that ah helped them. A've helped th' ones responsible fur th' Breach."

"Tock…," he was at a loss for what to say.

It was time for her to take the plunge, "Do ya trust me?" She held her breath waiting for his answer.

"No, but I want to."

'That guid enough fur me, just focus oan comin' back safely. Ah, git th' makings o' a plan 'n' whin it's duin ye'll know whit tae dae... goodbye Jaune," She hung up before he could answer. She didn't go back inside, instead choosing to linger on a bit longer, just letting herself feel the cool air around her as Autumn began to make its mark on the city. She didn't know how to categorize her relationship with Jaune and the phone call most certainly didn't help but then a small thought occurred to her, Does it matter now? It was a strange thing to think but the longer she allowed it to linger the more it made sense. It doesn't matter now bit, wance everything 'n' taken care o' we kin answer this question, th'gither. A warm feeling sprung up inside of her and she brought that feeling with her when she walked back inside to her crew and the small feast that had been prepared. And then as she sat down to eat inspiration struck her! She wasn't going to call that number tonight or tomorrow and possibly not any time this week. Peter no doubt awready reported his success tae his gaffer who is now waiting fur that ca'. Bit if th' ca' doesn't come then Peter 'n' his lost babies look lik' liars 'n' that means a very pissed aff gaffer 'n' a desperate Peter. Her face turned into a cruel bloodthirsty smile that her crew recognized and returned, "Boys, we nae gonnae look fer thaim lost wee jimmies. We're letting em come tae us 'n' our new friends 'n' then we'll mak' em a' squeal lik' pigs ?"

"AYE AYE CAPTAIN!"

* * *

Professor Anne Greene surveyed the situation: the night was finally over, the Grimm purged, the fires extinguished and Team JNPR had met all expectations and even went beyond. In fact, the four of them were currently assisting with the clean up instead of getting some well earned an important rest. No doubt their experience with the Breach had a lot to do this, she thought to herself as she moved through the settlement her bare feet protected from debris by a thin layer of Aura as she considered the events from last night, Several fires popping up around the same time triggering a Grimm assault could be a coincidence it has happened before. But that guy who ran into the forest changed everything. He was in the kids' room, why? He was disguised as a guard who is still missing, why? Looking around she soon spotted a house that seemed to be structurally stable and leaped up to the roof with an aura empowered jump.

She took a moment to just appreciate a cool early morning breeze before activating her semblance and turning her attention to the people below. Her eyes began to glow as her perception of the world widened and everything became clearer, brighter, more focused. The best way she could describe her semblance was by comparing it to a pair of glasses that you never knew how badly you needed until you put them on. With them she was able to notice details that would have normally escaped the notice of anyone else, soon she found what she was looking for and turned off her semblance before leaping back down to the ground and making her way to her target.

She found Nora Valkyrie using her incredible strength to help clear away debris while making it all seem effortless, much to the awe of the settlers who were truly grateful for the help. For a moment she was tempted just to leave the girl to her work but they needed to figure out what caused the fight last night. "Valkyrie! Moment of your time, please."

The pink bomber quickly turned to the people she was working with "I'll be back in a sec!" and then ran up to the Professor, "What's up Teach?"

Ann quickly looked over the young woman before her silently making a note of the dirt and sweat on Nora's body and the tears in the girl's clothes, She looks like she went right from the fight to work on the clan up without taking a break, I'd assume that it's the same for the rest of her teammates. "Take a break," Nora opened her mouth to protest but Ann was having none of it, "You fought throughout the entire night and if another attack happens you and your team need to be at your best."

"It's alright we got this," one the settlers spoke as the others agreed with him.

Nora wasn't happy about it but she did consent and left to her room, One down now to find the others. Anne Greene continued her search and found the leader of the team Jaune Arc helping to babysit the children of the settlement who were too young to help by entertaining them with stories of his fictional exploits at sea. She called him over the conversation she had earlier with Nora and repeated itself as she sent the reluctant one-armed captain back to his room to get some rest, also making note of his worn-out appearance. Ren was found tending to the wounded by cleaning their injuries and occasionally using his abilities to keep a rowdy patient calm so that they could be treated and she found Pyrrha who was found using her semblance to help clear debris away much like Nora was but on a much greater scale. Both were reluctant to leave, both had clear signs of exhaustion and both only left once the villagers assured them that it was okay to do so.

Anne herself was feeling tired from the fight of last night but what she saw in JNPR went above and beyond mere post-battle crash, they were running themselves ragged and they way they just threw themselves into the cleanup… it was as if they felt responsible somehow. It could be Survivor's Guilt, it's rather common in this profession and they were at the Breach. Dammit Oz why didn't you give them mandatory counseling sessions?

"Um, Miss Greene?" spoke one of the settlement guards. "We found...," the man looked around briefly and took a step closer while speaking low so that others couldn't hear him, "We found the missing guard, he's dead and he appears to have stab wounds."

Professor Greene frowned up hearing the news, Shit! I guess this means that it wasn't a coincidence, someone possibly the man I found started the fires so that everyone would be too distracted to catch him! But why was he in the kids' room or is that just a coincidence? She made up her mind and began to make her way over to where the JNPR was staying, in a perfect world she wouldn't have aroused them from their much-needed sleep but the clues were pointing her in that direction and she must follow.

* * *

"Hey has anyone seen my scroll," Jaune asked his teammates as they made themselves comfortable in their beds.

"Sorry! But I haven't seen it but I can call you," Pyrrha offered as she pulled out her scroll.

"I'd appreciate that," he answered back as she dialed his number and waited for a ringtone that never came.

"Did you have it on silence? Ren suggested.

"No, I didn't and I left it charging here so it can't be out of energy either," said Jaune as he started to look under his bed begging to notice that something else was missing from the room, "Hey has anyone seen my arm?"

"Maybe it was a bird?" Nora suggested.

"Huh?"

"Well, the window was up when I got here so maybe it was a bird that took it. The scroll, not your arm, though I do suppose that a Vacuo Swallow could have taken the arm."

"Vacuo Swallows are nonmigratory and the Vale Swallow is too small to carry it," Ren pointed out.

"Wait! what do you mean the window was open?" Pyrrha asked. "I was the last one to get to bed last night and the window was closed. Did someone open it?" She looked at her team for a moment but no one took responsibility for the window.

"Oh my God! Someone broke into our room and stole the Captain's hook because the thief wanted to be a Pirate! That's why the room was a mess when I got here, that's why the window was open and the lock was damaged because the cunning rogue leaped through the window breaking the flimsy lock!" Detective Nora declared.

"Nora that's…-"

The door swung open and Professor Anne Greene stepped inside "Holmes you've cracked the case! No, but, seriously there was a guy in your room last night and so far everything is pointing toward that man to be either the arsonist or in league with one."

JNPR was stunned but it was Jaune who put their feelings into words "Arson? You mean someone went out of their way to recreate the fucking Breach!"

The Professor wasn't surprised by his outburst, in fact, she'd half expected that very sort of reaction. But, looking at them with their faces projecting horror, shock, and anger it was clear that now sleep was completely out of the question regardless of how much they needed it. At least not until after they had a chance to vent for a bit… I better not mention the dead guard, not yet anyway. "Look last night I caught a guy in disguise leaving your room through the window, I tried to catch him but he escaped through the forest so before we go looking for him I want to know everything that's missing in this building besides the arm and the scroll also as soon as you are all ready I want you all to investigate the village for any other building that might have been broken into, understood?"

"Yes Ma'am," they answered together.

"Good," The Professor left the room.

Jaune turned to Nora, "Lend me your scroll."

"Catch," she said, tossing her scroll over to him.

"Jaune, what are you doing," Pyrrha asked.

"Calling Tock, that guy took my scroll and my arm for a reason and I'm not about to take any more chances or keep anyone else in the dark," he responds as he dialed.

"You should call Cecco instead since he'll think it's Nora calling him and answer for sure, then he can hand it over to her," Ren suggested.

"Good idea!" he quickly found Cecco on Nora's contact list and called and just like Ren promised the Pirate answered almost immediately.

"Thunder Thighs! How are you and Magic Fingers? Did ya break the bed yet?" Spoke the incredibly cheerful voice of Cecco!

"Tell him I said hi and Ren's good as well, oh and I know this is going to sound weird but tell him that the bed is still in one piece but Ren and I are working on it!" Nora shouted seemingly knowing exactly what Cecco would say even though she couldn't hear him.

"We're thinking of adding a little electrostimulation next time," added Ren who apparently shared Nora's ability to just know things.

"TMI, Ren… TMI," Pyrrha said with a frown.

"It's Jaune, someone stole my scroll, Thunder Thighs said hi, Magic Fingers is good, the bed is still in one piece and they are going to try and add electrostimulation. May I talk to Tock?"

"Sure man, just give me a second," Cecco looked from his scroll and made his way over to the bathroom where she was taking a shower and knocked on the door, "Oi Captain, your husband lost his scroll and is using one belonging to his mate's to call ya, are you decent?"

"A'm aye in th' shower bit gimme th' scroll anyway!" She shouted from behind the door.

Cecco opened the door and shamelessly walked up the shower curtain between him and Tock and stopped right in front of it offering the device which she took before shooing him away with a laugh, "Jaune darlin' ah hud a dream about ye lest night, did ye dream o' me?"

"Actually ya, I did. We were sparring and you knocked me to the floor and the…, look that's not why I called you! The settlement my team and I were sent to was attacked!"

"Whit! are ye okay? Is a'body hurt?"

"We're fine just a little tired from fighting Grimm all night but someone came into our room and stole my arm and scroll, we're going to check to see if any of the other houses were broken into before jumping to any conclusions."

"Jaune listen tae me efter ye left that karaoke place th' guy at th' front desk told me that another bounty hunter who goes by th' name o' Peter wis looking fur me!"

"What? Wait, why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"

"Fur ah didnae ken fur sure 'til now! Peter 'n' his Lost Boys claim tae be bounty hunters bit thay act lik' mercenaries 'n' pretending tae kidnap someone is a favorite trick o' his!"

"Then why only steal my scroll?" Jaune asked.

"Maybe he thought that th' rest o` yer gang didnae ken about us or mah crew or maybe he's just stupid? Either wey be oan guard 'n' dinna worry yirsel, we git this!"

* * *

"So the two of you will be arriving soon? Excellent, that is a bit of good news that this day severely needed... No, there is nothing wrong, just a lot of annoying little things... Stay safe Qrow," Ozpin ended the call and just sat at his desk and just mulled over the past few days and if there was anything that he could have done better and like clockwork and million moments and situations came to mind all thanks to his accursed accumulated experience and hindsight. I shouldn't have sent RWBY to Mount Glenn. What in the Brothers' names was I thinking? I was thinking about STRQ, I was too focused on trying to recreate one the best team of agents to ever work for me and I allowed nostalgia to blind you to logic and common sense. And what happens? The Breach, Ironwood going around my back and yanking security duty for the Festival from me and... I don't blame him…

It was exactly times like these that first drove him into virtually every unhealthy addiction during his many lifetimes, it was truly a wonder that Salem never took over during all those years where he just pathetically wallowed in misery, Maybe it was the same for her? It was a strange thought that made some sense but simply didn't matter. What mattered now was supporting James, especially once people started complaining about Atlas' increasing presence in Vale, even if he himself didn't like it either, his personal wishes did not matter. What mattered was Qrow coming back with Maria as soon as possible and securing her cooperation and to do that they would need to capture her attackers and thoroughly question them. Following that came what mattered more than anything else at the moment and that was going against' the wishes of the late Summer Rose and beginning young Ruby Rose's transition from a kind sweet girl to a… hardened slivered-eye warrior, I'm sorry but it has to be done. If Amber is their target then we will need Ruby Rose to be ready to fight on the frontline as well as everyone else in this Academy Fortress.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Sorry that this one took a while, but this chapter was extremely important for this fic to work. In fact, once I start the rewrite it will probably be revised twice. I'm honestly looking forward to it and I'm especially looking forward to the next couple of chapters.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Notes:** So I've rewritten all of Tock's dialogue and thoughts to more closely resemble a real Scottish Accent. So if you have the time let me know what you think of the change and how I can improve the Fic.

* * *

Climbing back down the mountain and hiking through a forest wasn't Qrow's idea of a good time but it gave him a chance to realize just how long it's been since he had last traveled with someone else. Granted it was due mostly to preference, but it sure was a lonely experience that made him rather homesick at times. However being able to transform into a crow, Dammit Oz I thought Yang had a bad sense of humor, meant that he could just avoid many of the pitfalls and boring parts about cross country travel which was a much needed positive in the face of his semblance which was Bad Luck. To make matters worse he had no way of turning it off and therefore traveling alone was the safest option for everyone around him and it was something that he just learned to live with. That all being said it would be a complete lie to say that now and then he didn't wish for a traveling buddy, preferably one that could keep up with him, cared about people, wanted to do what was right and didn't have a stick in their ass unlike that Winter chick, I swear there will be a reckoning if I ever find out who started that awful rumor about the two of us being a secret couple.

Maria at first glance could very well be considered his ideal partner, she was smart and had the wit to back it up, could easily keep up with him, had a semblance that protected her from his, cared deeply about helping people and could drink him under the table. The fact that she was an absolute beauty also really helped, however, even someone like he understood that it was a horrible idea trying to romance someone currently working through trauma and as one could imagine getting your eyes cut out and being left for dead was rather traumatic.

The fire and fury that she showed back in the village where he found her had slowly died out with every step every mile closer to Vale and more importantly the halls of Beacon. Doubt was beginning to seep into her mind… no that wasn't exactly true, Qrow thought to himself has the pair continued their journey. It would be more accurate to say that the doubt was already there hidden just underneath all that anger. He wanted to help her but he had no idea how to do it, he didn't even know where to start. When Raven left he helped Taiyang by being just as rightfully angry as he was and when Summer died he helped the poor guy again by first mourning and crying with him and later on by reminding him that his daughters needed a father and that he still had a best friend who wasn't going anywhere. But in both of those situations, he was able to help because he was also hurt by the actions of his bitch of a sister and the loss of their captain. He understood the pain they were going through because he was going through it as well. But in Maria's case, he had no way of understanding what she was feeling right now, though perhaps he didn't need to. He took a moment to look over his shoulder and saw Maria waking just behind him and using her Semblance to know exactly where he and everything around them was, Spatial Awareness is a hell of superpower maybe is Summer had it she'd… at that moment Qrow felt like the biggest fucking idiot in the whole goddamned world of Remnant, She'd want you to focus on saving her daughters instead of thinking of pointless What If's.

"Hey, since we're traveling together do you mind answering a couple of questions? Even if you don't want to answer I'll still answer your questions!" He offered.

"How much longer till we reach Beacon?" She asked.

"Well I'd reckon that we should get there by around…," he quickly ran some mental calculations keeping in mind that his companion was still blind despite her Semblance and while his Semblance was a dick. "We could get there in around five to seven days assuming nothing comes up that might delay us and trust me, something will happen." A Bullhead is coming to pick us up so we should get there in around half that time.

"Well, that's just fanfuckingtastic… fine what do you want to know?" she answered.

"Those people back in that mountain village seemed to like you, in fact, they were ready to fight me to protect you."

Maria quickly whispered something under her breath that Qrow could only barely make out, "Those idiots…"

Pretending like he heard nothing the Huntsman continued, "Now I've seen appreciation before it usually the offer of a place to stay for the night, a meal and occasionally a one night stand but that village… They love you, they legitimately love you and frankly, I'm a little jealous. So what's the story?"

She was silent for a bit which didn't worry the dusty old crow at all since was more than happy to wait for her and she didn't have to wait long, "That village doesn't appear on any map and the only way for most people to get there is to stumble upon by accident as I did or already know where it is. They are on their own and if a horde of Grimm were to descend upon them they would wipe out the settlement and no one would know."

"So you were protecting them?"

"I saved them... from a rouge huntsman."

He instantly understood the cruel irony of the situation but wisely chose not to comment on it, Getting mistaken for the very asshole you just sent packing damn and I thought I had bad luck, "It must've taken a long time to earn their trust afterward, so why did you stick around instead of moving on on the next big gig?" Qrow asked as he thought back to his sister for just a moment.

"That village was a wellspring of negativity. If I moved on the Grimm would move in and I think we've both seen how that ends. Honestly, when that scaly bitch showed up with her crew and called me a rogue huntsman, I laughed at them and at how absurd the whole situation was. After everything I had done for that settlement she felt like a bad joke or some kind of bullshit plot contrivance penned by a third rate hack of a wannabe author, I was going to kick her ass and go back to the village where I'd tell them the funny story of the losers I'd just meet… then I lost and she was one laughing," Maria stopped walking and just stood there trying her best to rein in her emotions but she kept thinking back to the moment when the blade touched her eyes and everything went dark with the last thing she ever saw being that damned smile on her attacker's face… followed by laughter.

She sensed Qrow stepping close to her and instinctually took one step back, stopping when he didn't follow instead he stood at a distance and began softly talking, "When I was a student in Beacon I was a part of a team called STRQ. Summer Rose was the leader and easily the kindest most sincere person I ever had the pleasure of knowing... she had Silver Eyes," this instantly caught her attention.

"Summer is dead now, killed on the orders of the very same person that wanted you gone."

"Salem," Maria spoke that name with such venom as tired to imagine what kind of foul circumstances led to the creation of such an evil being.

"And now they are in Vale looking for Summer's daughter, my niece Ruby. I know that we are asking a lot from you but please, help me keep her safe."

* * *

The Atlesian Knight-130 was an outdated model of mass-produced combat droids that had managed to retain a considerable bit of popularity even after being replaced by its frankly superior successor the Atlesian Knight-200. The secret behind the 130's ability to remain profitable was its cheapness and how easy it was to maintain their body and modify behavior to create different combat scenarios for solo and team practice. An example of this would the droid that was now facing off against Ruby Rose in the arena as Penny watched from the sidelines using a computer console to make adjustments to the machine and the field itself, the robot had been given one command and had all of it performance parameters had been optimized to achieve the singular goal of Dodging.

The mechanical knight kept its eyes on the hooded girl and the odd weapon in her hands while searching through its limited database for the specs of that particular instrument of death to better determine how to best achieve its designated goal but, it came up with nothing. The girl moved her hands and pointed the device away from the machine which in turn caused its built-in processor to go into overdrive to try and predict what was going to happen, and then something shot out of the weapon, the 130's retinal scanners caught sight of an unidentified flying object moving rapidly towards it from an odd angle. The machine didn't even try to calculate the possible trajectory before it began moving in the opposite direction in a bid to complete its objective of avoidance only for its audio sensors to pick up the sound of the object picking up speed and moving closer and closer, the droid attempted to juke the object but the sound of metal tearing into metal filled the room as contact was made and its right arm fell off.

"Aw man, I missed!" Ruby lamented as she prepared Jaune's new weapon to fire again.

"It is a rather difficult weapon to use but there are plenty of historical examples of weapons that work using the same principles with five such weapons being right here in Beacon and even one being used by a professor." Penny helpfully stated.

"Really? Which professor is it? I could use some advice right now," asked Ruby as she fired the weapon again this time cutting off a portion of the Droid's head and shutting it down. Penny then pressed a few buttons and another model of the 130s came out to replace its failed brethren.

"The Professor's name is Anne Greene who coincidentally is also the Huntress overseeing Team JNPR mission! I shall try calling Jaune to advise him to ask her for lessons," Penny went silent as her internal scroll sent the Pirate a message, a few seconds later she began speaking again, "He didn't answer so I left him a message. Would you like to try disabling multiple droids?"

"Penny! I'm still trying to hit one moving target!"

The door to the room suddenly opened up and Weiss Schnee quickly walked in, "Oh Ruby and even Penny! I didn't expect to see either of you here, how are you feeling? Is there anything wrong?"

"I'm in optimal shape, Weiss!" Penny happily exclaimed.

"I'm okay Weiss," Ruby spoke exasperatedly, "I'm fine!"

Weiss seemed completely unbothered by Ruby's attitude, in fact, it almost seemed as though she expected it which caught Penny's attention as the Heiress moved towards the back of the room, "Don't mind me, I'm just looking for a shard of Dust that I lost here and look! Here it is just tucked away in this corner!" She held up a piece of Ice Dust and moved back towards the door. "Well, Ruby if there is anything you need help with-"

"I'll be sure to call you or Yang or Blake," Ruby cut her off, which oddly enough didn't seem to bother Wiess at all; she looked oddly pleased with the answer.

"Well, take care!" Wiess then left the room with a strange and content smile on her face.

The moment the door closed Penny turned to Ruby, "That was odd."

"It's not just her! Blake and especially Yang have been constantly checking up on me trying to make sure that I'm safe and it's infuriating! And the worst part is that no one will tell me what's wrong and yes I have asked them and they just keep denying that anything is going on!" she took a moment to calm herself down, "Penny I'm sorry for-"

"You have nothing to apologize for Friend Ruby, I'm happy that you felt comfortable enough around me to vent your frustrations to me."

Ruby put Jaune's new weapon down and used her semblance to quickly move over next to Penny and pulled her friend in for a hug while completely failing to notice the door opening up again and Mercury Black walking in.

"Um, am I interrupting anything here or would the two of you like to be alone?" Mercury politely asked not wanting to be a bother.

Ruby in turn kindly used her semblance to quickly move to the other side of the room while nicely screaming, "Where did you come from!?"

"Mercury came in shortly after Weiss left, you simply didn't notice him since you were busy embracing me, which is an activity that I would very much like to get back to." Penny shot him a look as she said that last part.

In turn, he scratched his head and began an apology," I'm sorry it's just that I've been having trouble with my weapon," He pulled up one of his pant's legs revealing the metal prosthetics underneath which quickly captured the Weaponsmith's attention, "And I've heard that the two of you are the best around. So how about you help me and in return, I'll listen to you vent," he offered looking at Ruby before turning to Penny, "And I'll help get the others off of your back giving you two a little privacy."

"Deal!"

* * *

In Beacon there were very few places that could be called truly private, even in the Emerald Forest, there were many spots and in some cases entire sections that were under the constant and paranoid surveillance of a rightfully fearful old man. Most of these cameras and microphones were hidden and thanks to Ozpin's years of experience, they have remained secret for years at least until Cinder through the use of a backdoor program created by Watts was able to find them. Afterward, all it took was a bit of basic deduction and she had been able to find one of those of the rare and extremely precious rooms that were truly off of the grid.

It was in one such room that she was making herself comfortable as Mercury gave his report, "Either Ruby's entire team has suddenly taken an unhealthy interest in her wellbeing or they think something is up."

"Tell me then, do you think they know about the Silver Eyes?" She asked him.

Mercury gave it some thought before answering out of a habit is picked up from his father and perhaps the only good thing he learned from that dead piece of filth, "Jaune and Ruby are best friends but even if they weren't their two teams are close to each other and on top of that he is stupidly heroic," Which is weird considering the missing the arm but maybe he gets off on danger would explain his marriage to a bounty hunter, "And for reasons that I don't think anyone will ever understand that wannabe pirate and that cosplaying crocodile do seem to care about each other," How did they even meet?!, "So if we assume that Tock told him about her job then it isn't a question of whether he'd tell someone in RWBY and given oddly protective Yang, Weiss and Blake are being of their little leader, yeah. They know and they expect something is going to happen and happen soon."

The Villainess smiled, "Perfect! I do believe it's time for step two." She picked up a scroll and activated the voice changer and was about to dial a number when she noticed the confused and unsatisfied look on Mercury's face, Emerald feels the same as him but she's been trying to hide it, I better fill them in when she gets back. With that in mind, she dialed a number on the scroll.

"Hello again my dear employer, how are you this most excellent of days?" the slimy voice of Peter spoke through the microphone, his tone carrying with it the stench of unearned confidence.

"You told me that you found and delivered the message to Tock, you even promised me that she would soon contact me and yet here I am calling you instead!"

"What do mean she hasn't?! L-look here, it not my fault that the animal was too stupid to make a call! It's not my fault I was just following your instructions!"

"My instructions were to find her and re-establish contact, you half-assed your job then patted yourself on the back and before you bring it up I already know about your juvenile attempt to try and trick her into thinking you have a hostage but guess what! She already knows it's fake!"

"H-how can you possibly know that?"

"Did you think that we would allow you to do whatever you pleased in this city without keeping tabs on you? My Mistress Salem paid good money for your services," out of the corner of her eye she could see that Mercury had a look of complete shock on his face as he tried to understand why she would give away the name of their boss to a complete nobody, Patience you'll see why "But Salem is nothing if not merciful so you will do well to listen."

* * *

In the kingdom of Vale in the district of Bloomsbury there is a street simply named the 14th that is generally avoided by the populace due to its rather gloomy reputation which was the result of its proximity to the sealed train station which formerly existed to shuttle people to the now empty and perpetually tragic settlement on Mount Glenn. However not all was dreary on that lonesome road for there existed a pleasant home where there lived a lovely family named the Darlings who brought joy to everyone around them... then the Breach happened and what positivity remained on 14th street ran away to escape the Grimm and hasn't bothered to return.

What the Darlings did not know and would thankfully never learn was that their home, which miraculously had been spared from the destruction, now served as a base of operations to a very unruly group of ruffians.

"That Bitch!," screamed Peter as he threw a bottle of cheap wine at the wall and sent a pair of twins known only as the Twins ducking to avoid the shards of glass flying through the living room as a result of their leader's outburst. The pair ran out of the room as he picked up another bottle and threw that one as well, "I should have never let Belle talk me into accepting this fucking job!" His hand reached out to find another bottle but there were none in reach, he scanned the room looking for something else to throw and spotted a couple of champagne glasses that the Twins had been using to drink beer with and since they were no longer in the room no one would object to their destruction. However, he would not be able to grab the expensive crystal unless he wanted to get up from his seat on the couch and walk across the living room to where they had been but that was too much effort for him until his Aura Flared up and his shadow came to life stretching itself towards the fragile containers pushing one of them close enough for him to grab. "Everyone get down here!" within moments all the members of the Lost Boys had gathered in front of their leader who was still sitting on the couch agitated, holding the glass in his hand and absentmindedly looking for a good target to aim at as he ignored the glare the Twins were giving him.

"What's the problem?" Peter's second in command Belle spoke, her presence did little to help the nervous atmosphere in the room and her insectile wings, which marked her as a Faunus, were bristling with an agitation which made everything worse.

"Tock hasn't made any attempt to contact our employer even though she and her crew were searching for that bitch," Peter answered, finally deciding to crush the glass in his hand as aura coated it to prevent cuts.

Slightly spoke up, "Then just send her the arm me and Curly stole,"

"They somehow already know that we don't have her husband," he said as his shadow moved across the room and started pushing the second glass towards himself.

"And that is our problem because? We've completed our job, let's just cut our losses and get out of this damn kingdom and crash in Vacuo for a bit or we can run some errands for Lil' Miss Malachite if we want some extra cash," Belle shot back.

The still half-filled glass cup finished its journey across the room and was picked up by Peter who considered throwing it at his lieutenant but shuddered at the thought of her retaliation so he threw it at Slightly instead."

"What the fu-"

"She is going to report our crimes and location to the cops who I honestly don't care about and if that was it we wouldn't be having this conversation. But our boss has also threatened to tell the Academy which I very much care about and if we try to run or nothing changes by the end of tomorrow we are effectively screwed so this is what we are going to do. Slightly you and Curly are going back to that settlement and grabbing that bastard, I don't care how you do it, take the Twins with you in case there is a fight. Everyone else is coming with me to confront that Scaly Whore."

"I thought you said that we'd be reported if we left Vale," Curly pointed out.

"Just do what I fucking tell you and leave it to me to clear it with that bitch," Peter shot back, We should have bailed on this job the moment that bastard Hazel told us we'd be taking orders from someone else… Who is this Salem and why does she need one guy to hire us and someone else to give us instructions? "Anyone else with stupid questions?"

"And if Tock doesn't play along?" the tall pale and grinning figure of Nibs asked as he fingered the grip of his favorite knife.

"That's what Jaune is for, now get what you need and get ready, we'll get the boy tonight and tomorrow confront Tock, Tootles find a place where we won't be disturbed and another place to dump a few bodies, just in case."

* * *

"How are we going to do this?" Cecco asked his captain as she brandished her blades and slowly paced around the sparing room of the Pit.

"Well, ah wis thinking that we could go a' proper lik' 'n' dae this one at a time pure winner versus pure winner, foremaist ye 'n' me then Turley against Mason 'n' finally th' pure winner o' that versus me."

"Oh damn! Are you just gonna let her talk to you like that?" Mason shouted from the sidelines as Turely largely ignored the trash talk choosing to focus on sharpening his machetes while secretly humming the theme song of a cartoon he had binged watched the nite before.

Cecco didn't say anything instead hefting his hammer onto his shoulder and walking up to her as she took up a fencer's stance ready lunge at a moment's notice, it was a favorite trick of her's that was responsible for many a victory but it was also something he was familiar with and most importantly the range was a known factor that he could take advantage of, it wasn't going to be easy but it was possible to pull a win. He ended his approach just on the edge of the safe zone, a little closer and he'd get a second belly button, Here is the tricky part if she thinks something up then she'll close the gap and I'll get poked with a sword. But maybe… He took the hammer into both hands and looked at his captain who stared back at him confused as to what was taking so long for the fight to start. This can work, and with a smile, he chucked the hammer right at her face. For one fraction of a second she was surprised her body freezing up but in the very next fraction her lifetime of training kicked in and her body began to move not away from the hammer but towards and under it, in one fluid motion she kicked off of the ground rocketing towards her crewmate in an attempt to skewer him, only to find that he was just out of reach. Cecco, on the other hand, was ready for her and was already moving towards her blind spot with a combat knife in hand.

Both Mason and Turley dropped everything that they were doing and began rising to their feet as he raised the blade into the air, taking a sweet second to just drink in the look of disbelief on Tock's face. This proved to be a mistake.

At that moment she processed the situation and made a decision that normally would have been a monumentally stupid idea and perhaps it still was but it was the only one she could come up with at the time. Abandoning any chance of a proper landing she instead began rotating her body allowing her to swing her cutlass upwards at Cecco who had foolishly given her the time. He saw the sword coming towards him and made the decision to move the knife to block the blade but the force of the blow forced him backward as Tock fell prone onto the floor. The writing was on the wall as he knew that she'd easily overpower him once she got up so in one last act of desperation Cecco threw his weapon at the captain who was barely able to raise her rapier to block the projectile which struck with enough force to knock the sword out of her hand. It was a small victory which he relished, however, this left him with no weapon while Tock was now back on her feet with a vicious hacker at the ready, he could go for the hammer still on the floor but everyone in the room knew that he'd never make it in time.

"Looks like you got me, Captain," he spoke, feeling rather satisfied with how things turned out. Talking hammers with that Nora gal has upped my game but it feels like I'm still missing something.

"Goddamn Cecco! Ah dinnae care if ye dinnae lik' thaim guns yer getting one! Ye hear a'm buying ye a gun 'n' yer gonnae learn tae use it 'n' love it!" she declared with a laugh, "Ah mean throwing th' hammer ah git bit th' claymore tae? c'moan!"

"But I nearly got you!"

"'N' if ye hud a gun ye would've won!"

"Touche," he admitted while the two of them picked up their respective weapons as the next two took to the ring.

"So tell me, old friend," Mason spoke while aiming his rifle at his dual-wielding frenemy "Did you get any faster since our last fight or will this be a repeat performance?"

"Last time I tripped and you fucking know it!" Turley shot back.

"You tripping was all according to my plan."

"God, you read too many comic books." Turley gave one of his machetes a playful twirl before suddenly dashing to the side as his sparring partner raised his rifle and opened fire.

*RRRIIING*

Tock could barely hear the scroll over the sound of gunfire and tried to ignore it at first but a thought kept remerging, What if it is important? Most circumstances that was a ridiculous argument full of holes however there was nothing about Tock's situation that could ever be considered normal. _Dammit!_ Forcefully tearing her eyes away from the fight she found her scroll and discovered that an unknown number had sent her a photograph. _That it? damn, a'm losing mah jobby fur nothing, well might as well see whit ah git_, "Whit th' bugger is this!?"

It was an image of Jaune's stolen prosthetic arm now torn to pieces with parts melted down as though someone had taken the arm and tried to cook it in an oven. Included with the image was a message. "You think you're such a clever bitch? Well, guess what? I know what you know and now I've sent a few of my boys to let your boy toy know what I think about that." Soon another text was sent, this time it was to an address that she did not recognize along with a second message "Don't even think about warning him! If we think anything is up for even a second then we'll do everything in our power to drag you down with us!"

"Shit!" She smashed her fist into the floor cracking the reinforced concrete before turning to her crew only to find that they had ended the fight and were already packing their things to go.

"Captain, what are your orders?

She thought it over for a bitter second, "We're gonnae trust Jaune tae handle himself, we're gonnae ca' his friends ower at beacon 'n' let 'em know 'n' then we're gonnae murdurr Peter 'n' ilka lest one o' his mangy punkass crew."

"Aye Aye Captain!"

* * *

Ren was barely able to raise Storm Flower in time to divert the sharpened metal point of Jaune's Rapier away from his face and he unconsciously took a step back trying to get away from the perceived danger but all it accomplished was opening himself up to another attempted stab. Fighting against his instincts he deflected the next blow and moved forward and closer, he was rewarded for his bravery with an opportunity to counterattack which he did by lashing out with the bladed pistol but he struck nothing but the air as his foe maintained the distance and began rapidly thrusting trying to find a gap in the defense. Sparks flew with every exchange as the deadly edges made contact with each other, to the untrained eye it looked as though the combatants were even but Ren knew better. He needed to break free or it was only a matter of time before Jaune would strike either too quickly to intercept or too fiercely to be parried and the result would spell disaster for himself. He needed to bait in his foe so he began to cautiously give away ground taking one calculated step after another, To think that just a second ago I was trying to get closer. The ninja took one more step back and pretended to lose his footing for just one second, which Jaune immediately took advantage of the perceived moment of weakness with a fierce stab meant to break through any defense but it hit nothing but empty space as Ren went low and attacked his captain's leg with a mighty sweep knocking the pirate to the ground. Pushing his advantage he closed the distance intending to end the fight only for Jaune to lift his sword and point it right at Ren who nearly ran right into it and was driven back leaving him helpless to watch as Jaune picked himself off of the ground never moving the tip of his blade away from Ren who was smiling, The Captain took advantage of his weapon's superior reach and used it as a barrier which I nearly ran into... he has improved. The two circled each other for a bit before charging and filling the sky with the song of steel on steel.

The people of the settlement were awestruck by the shine of the evening sun reflecting off of the weapons and the speed by which the huntsmen moved, to them it looked like some sort of complex dance whose steps were impossible to learn. They weren't too far off, as while the two were sparring with each other they weren't competing rather they were putting on a show for the people. A performance to reward the workers after a hard day of labor while they waited for dinner to be served and entertain the children as well and it was working. Being able to see two defenders of the settlement in action without the risk of attack was doing wonders for the morale of the citizens, just the presence of the Huntsmen alone was bringing peace of mind to the brave men and women whose actions were helping humanity and Fuanus Kind expand beyond the walls of the Kingdoms.

Eventually, the dinner bell rang and the fight died down as everyone turned their attention to satisfying their stomachs, while the rest of Jaune's team ran up to them accompanied by the Professor who had been watching with approval, "You guys were great! Especially you captain! No offense Ren you were fantastic as always and hot! God, you're so hot!" Nora apologetically spoke to her boyfriend while not attempting to hide how she intensely was checking him out.

"None taken," Ren replied to his girlfriend while calmly stretching to show off a little.

Turning back to her captain she began speaking so quickly that it was hard to believe that she had spent most of the day lifting logs to help rebuild the settlement, "Honestly Jaune when you started spending time with Tock I would have never thought you had been training not that I doubt you or anything but come on you married a Huntress and this was your honeymoon! You're supposed to be spending as much time as possible banging your bride though given who she is maybe she was banging you, is that something you're into? I mean you really can't tell who's a top or bottom unless you sleep with them or they tell you and even then they may not know themselves which is why it's important to experiment or at least that's what I've heard. So maybe you're into it and just didn't know it until she- Oooh! That's a good idea! How about it Ren? Are you down for some role-reversal?"

"Only after we've done some proper research into it," he responded.

"Thanks, Renny-Poo! You're the best!" She didn't waste any time tackling-hugging her boyfriend who in turn immediately returned the embrace as some of the settlers watched approvingly as the pair walked towards the dinner tables holding hands.

Jaune turned away from the couple and looked to his partner 'Was it really such a big deal?"

"How can you even say something like that is beyond me kid," Professor Anne Greene spoke up, "You've helped save their homes from a Grimm attack and been spending as much time as possible trying to help rebuild, trust me when I say you are all getting high marks on this assignment."

"She's right Jaune, you've got to stop being so hard on yourself," Pyrrha glanced briefly at the stump of her friend's arm and a brief wave of shame overtook her as she remembered his early days at the academy "Jaune you're a fine leader and no one can honestly say anything differently."

"Are you sure about that miss?" a stranger suddenly spoke.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" The Professor angrily turned to face the speaker coming face to face with a man of average height with dusty blond hair and wearing a grey suit, altogether the man had the look of a civilian but not one who was local. Apart from his somewhat tired but still admittedly handsome appearance, he was unremarkable, that is if he didn't look like an older Jaune Arc.

"Dad!? What are you saying?" A confused and shocked Jaune asked, eliciting surprise from his professor and partner.

"I could ask you the same thing young man, what are you doing continuing this charade of yours? Seriously if you had any sense of responsibility you would leave this career to your more able-bodied colleagues and come home already, you're only slowing them down," the man crudely stated, earning a vindictive glare from Pyrrha who tried to say something but was cut off by the Professor.

"Well as a Professor in Beacon and the Professional Huntress in charge of this mission," Anne spoke while letting her dislike for this man seep into every syllable, "I must disagree with you. Your son has continuously demonstrated considerable skill in his fights and has shown great aptitude for leadership so I am happy to say I have no idea what you are talking about."

Jaune's father chuckled, "Well then let me spell it out for you, a cripple has no right to play hero especially when there are lives at stake, as a professional and professor you of all people should know that. But given the Breach, I'd suppose it fair to say that I'm expecting too much of Beacon."

Pyrrha then jumped in "How dare you! You weren't there at the mouth of the Breach! You didn't fight the Grimm through the streets and alleyways saving as many people as you could but, Jaune did! He fought the Grimm and won, he searched the city for survivors and saved them! He isn't playing hero, he is one and you are-!"

Jaune grabbed Pyrrha, pulled her aside and turned to his father, "Could you give us a minute dad?"

"Sure," he answered dismissively.

"Pyrrha why don't you get the others and head back to our room?"

"Jaune what's going on with you!? Why are you just letting him walk over you like that?" She demanded to know as the professor watched the pair with concern while his father seemed to be glaring at them both.

"Please just trust me on this one, I know what I'm doing," he assured her.

"Fine, but you better not even think about handling this on your own Jaune. You've grown so much, don't throw it all away because of this... man. Please promise me that you'll let us help you."

"Thank you Pyrrha, I won't let you down not this time or ever again." he watched for a bit as she left before turning back to his father, "Can we talk? Somewhere elsewhere we won't be interrupted?"

His father looked surprised for a second before giving a smile that could only be called sleazy "Sure that would be great, perfect even." he then pushed past the upset professor and joined his son walking towards the edges of the settlement and began working their way behind the various buildings which were now becoming rather dark and secluded thanks to the setting sun.

"So tell me, dad, how did you even get here?"

"I hitched a ride with some gentlemen who were passing by."

"Really? They were just passing by an area that has recently suffered a Grimm attack? It will be dark soon, where were they planning on staying?" Jaune stopped walking and gave his father a hard look, "How did you even find me?"

The man tensed up for a second and his eyes briefly darted about taking in his surroundings focusing particularly on the buildings as though he was looking for something and only relaxing when he didn't find it, "I thought we were going to discuss your shameful lack of self-awareness and yet all you seem to want to do is talk about other people."

Ignoring his father's comments Jaune continued their walk "Alright then if you want to talk about me let's talk, why didn't you approach me after the Breach? I'd understand if you weren't in Vale at the time-"

"Then why are you asking me such a pointless question especially when you already know the answer to it? I didn't talk to you in Vale because I wasn't in Vale at the time so I couldn't possibly try and talk some sense into you then."

Their walk finally ended with Jaune stopping behind one of the buildings but not turning around to face his dad rather leaving himself completely exposed as the sun finally dipped below the horizon and night overtook the sky leaving the two alone on the edge of the settlement. While he wasn't looking at this father, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe filled with some unknown fluid and walked over to Jaune clasping one hand over the boy's mouth as he stabbed the needle into the pirate's neck only for the thin metal to bounce harmlessly off of Jaune's aura as the Huntsman reached into his coat, pulled out a pistol and point it at his attacker's leg.

*BANG*

With a cry of pain, the man fell backward, his aura barely stopping the bullet which left a mark as the buccaneer turned around and pointed the smoking gun at him. "First off, drop the disguise then put your hands where I can see them and drop to the ground."

Just like that his father was gone, replaced by a stout young Faunus with brown feathers in his hair and arms dressed in street clothes and glaring daggers at him, gripping his bruised leg with one hand and clenching the broken syringe in the other. "I don't know how the fuck you figured me out but it doesn't matter, I wasn't the only one to come and we brought with us a guy who can attract Grimm so you better play nice or-!"

*BANG*

He was cut off by a bullet impacting his chest as his target looked at him with scorn, "After you bastards attacked this village the first time we worked together with the settlers to come up with a disaster plan so right now most of them are in their homes. Furthermore, my team and I switched rooms after you broke in and this building is where we are staying now and finally my father supported my dreams so don't you dare prance around with his face and talk that kind of shit to me!"

Slightly picked himself up and pulled out a dagger and a hatchet, "This could have been easy but now I'm going to make you a quadruple amputee-!"

*BANG*

Slightly's aura absorbed yet another hit as Jaune put the pistol away, drew out his sword and pointed it right at the would-be-kidnapper who was rubbing their sore chest, "You messed with a Pirate and now you're walking the plank."

* * *

**Author's Notes:** So I'm going to start the Rewrite a little early but only focusing on fixing the spelling, grammar and consistency so I can better focus on the most important things. Once it starts properly I'll upload a placeholder that will tell you about what has changed and will be removed once I am done!

Also, I will never apologize for ending the chapter on a one-liner.


	10. Chapter 10

*BANG*

The sound of a gunshot is not an easy thing to miss, particularly in a small settlement where the echoing sound can reach every corner and every ear, inciting a different reaction out of everyone who heard it. For example, Jaune's team thanks to their training were the first to react and within seconds they had their weapons gathered and were on the way out of the door rushing to where the sound had originated from. When the echoing sound had reached the other side of the settlement Professor Anne Greene like her wards was the very first to react but unlike the children, she had to fight back against the urge to run towards the noise and instead turned her attention to the settlement and began barking orders to the village guards and leading the citizens to barricade themselves within their own home for safety while family members cling onto each other for comfort.

*BANG*

When Curly who was hidden in the dark forest with the Twins heard the second shot he felt a deeply uncomfortable nervousness creeping in, _Slightly doesn't have a gun so who is shooting? Are they shooting at him? I know he told me to wait for the signal but I can't help but feel like things have gone tits up._ He thought for a moment to weigh his option before deciding to err on the side of caution. Closing his eyes he began to channel aura into hands and pressed his palms into the earth and poured his fear and worry into the dark soil as the Twins prepaid their weapons in anticipation for the fight that would soon erupt. It didn't take long for the air began to fill with the sound of breaking branches and guttural growls as unnatural beasts came seeking blood.

*BANG*

By the time the third and final shot rang out Professor Anne Greene despite her efforts was still on the other side of the settlement helping usher people into safety, every now and then she would pause and look towards the source of the noise using her semblance to overcome the distance and the lack of light. To her relief, she saw that Jaune was safe and that his team would soon join up with him, and most importantly they were armed and ready for anything just like true Huntsmen. However, her veins ran cold, when she saw the man that the boy was confronting and recognized him from the previous attack. A desire to protect her students arose up but once again she had to fight the urge to drop everything that she was doing just to run to their sides. _They'll be fine especially if they are together but the citizens, on the other hand, will get shredded if they stay out._ Her mind made up, she turned her attention back to the task before her and applied all the skill and professionalism that was to be expected of a professor of Beacon Acadamy, however, once that was done no force in all of Remnant would be able to stop her from putting an end to the attackers and was looking forward to it.

* * *

"Sooooo..., Captain is this guy a friend of yours?" Nora asked while looking at the strange Faunus who for some reason was glaring hatefully at each one of them, _Who is this guy? We've been here for a while now and met everyone who lives here which means that he isn't from the settlement, so why is he here and why is he's looking at us like we killed his dog?_ She took a look at Jaune and saw to her surprise that the Captain was returning the glare right back at the man before them. _Hate, Jaune has nothing but hate for this guy. Which makes him my enemy!_

Jaune didn't even need to look at his team to know the question that was running through their heads so without ever moving his sword away or taking his eyes off of the man before him he addressed his team, "Crew let me introduce you to the bastard responsible for the attack a few nights ago and who for some reason tried to kidnap me while disguised as my father!" He didn't even need to look at his team to know what their reactions were, the man in front of him told the whole story with his face alone as it went from bitter anger to fearful panic. The man's new expression gave Jaune an odd satisfied feeling that might have worried him had the guy in question been anything but true scum.

"So that wasn't your father! Oh, that's a relief. But how did he do it? Is it a Semblance some sort" Pyrrha wondered aloud.

Jaune opened his mouth to answer his partner but before he could form any words he saw something in the woods that captured his full attention as well as the attention of the rest of his team. It was two tiny and flickering lights just floating together in the dark almost like it was a pair of fireflies in the distance but something about it made him uncomfortable. Then another pair of lights appeared and then another one and what's more, they seemed to get closer as more and more fireflies appeared. Nora tried to say something but she was silenced by Ren who was directing all of his attention what was happening before them and motioned for the others to gather right behind himself, which they did all while keeping the Faunus in their sights who was now deeply confused by their actions. Ren then pressed his ears into the ground and then spent some aura to improve his hearing and then he just listened. It was faint but he could hear it, the sounds of heavy footsteps coming towards them, it wasn't just one being either but he couldn't tell how many they were but he could tell that they were not the footsteps of a person and that was enough for him. He jumped back up and pointed his pistols toward the forest as his teammates took up defensive positions with Nora loading a particular shell into Magnhild. Soon the lights revealed themselves to be eyes ablaze with hate and everyone could hear the cacophony of feet, hooves, growls, snapping jaws, crunching branches, and trees being shoved aside. Without needing to be told, Nora pointed her weapon into the sky and fired sending a bright red warning signal into the night sky.

The settlement was under attack by the Grimm.

* * *

One of the things Academies make a point of beating into their students' skulls is that the use of Aura is not without cost and semblances are no exceptions, the more powerful a semblance was the bigger the cost that came with using it. Curly was now paying the cost for the use of his power which due to a lack of proper training left him drained and forced to lean on a nearby tree for support lest he falls to the ground. Meanwhile his bodyguards, the Twins were looking at him with disdain, "The only thing you're good for is that semblance of yours and even then you suck at using it," one of the pair spoke as their doppelganger nodded in agreement before adding, "You didn't even wait for the signal, how unreliable are you?"

"Just because my semblance works off my emotions doesn't give either of you two nameless freaks permission to make me feel worse!" Even in the dark he could see that the two were pissed at him for bringing up their lack of a name and honestly he didn't care, it was their fault for starting a fight they couldn't win and he had a port of stress to vent, "My actions saved Slightly! What have either of you two done? Oh, that's right, nothing! You two have added nothing at all you both are a complete waste of oxygen!"

"Our job is to guard your fatass and make sure you don't try running away like a coward!" One of the twins retorted. His other half was about to respond when a bright red flare lit up the night and forced their attention on what was going on in the settlement, _That's not our signal which means… we might be looking at the worst-case scenario._

"Shit, that was an emergency flare! They were ready for us!" Curly shouted as he turned around and hid behind the tree he was leaning against a moment earlier as the Twins looked at him with disgust before turning their attention to the settlement.

"What are we going to do?" The first one asked his brother, "If we try running away Peter will be pissed at us not to mention our mysterious employer will leak our information to the authorities." The two thought for a while before turning their attention back to each other. "Maybe all we need to do is rough up that Pirate guy and send a video, Peter will be pissed but it's better than spending the rest of our lives hiding in some backwater hole-in-the-ground without a name." With their guns at the ready, the Twins began their march.

"Wait!" Curly cried. "Where are you two going? You're supposed to protect me! Get back here dammit or I'll tell both Peter and Belle that you ignored orders!"

The Twins stopped and looked back at him, "Shut up and listen, you idiot! If we fail this job there is no going back for us and at the rate, things are going, failure is exactly what's going to happen!"

"But the Grimm I summoned are-"

"Going to be wiped out just like last time and then what? What are you going to do then?" He looked at Curly and waited for an answer that wasn't coming, "Just stay here and keep sending Grimm while we do the heavy lifting." With that, he and his brother pulled out their revolvers and started walking toward the settlement leaving the now fuming Curly alone.

"Just you wait," Curly spoke to no one but himself as he walked back to the truck, "All of you are going to regret mocking me. Every single one of you will be sorry!" This is the last straw, I'm going to do it! I should have done this a long time ago when it was done. None of you will ever be able to do or say anything against me ever again!

* * *

Had it just been him versus this one-armed poser Slightly felt confident that he would have no problem teaching that brat a few stern life lessons about what happens when you anger your betters. Sure the punk managed to get three shots off but even with an aura deficit, he was sure he could easily win. _Then why am I being pressed back?_ Taking that thought and pushing it to the back of his head he charged at Jaune and with a roar went in for a murderous swing of his hatchet but the boy took a small step back and was now just out of range, _Why is he always just out of reach!?_ He tried to pull back but the boy suddenly stepped in and stuck his arm out forward guiding the point of his sword towards Slightly who was forced to use his knife to awkwardly deflect the stab._ I'm done playing by this brat's rules, time to show him what a real right looks like!_ He turned around and tried to break away and into the forest. _Just try to chase me and we'll see just how tough you are as I cut you to bits in the dark!_

*wwwwwRRRRRRRZZZZZZZZZ*

Slightly remembered that sound from the last time he was in the settlement and ducked just as Professor Anne Greene's flying Guillotine flew through the air and began mowing down the Grimm emerging from the forest and even cutting down several trees in the process. For just a moment Slightly just sat there uncomfortably imagining what could happen if he was just a second or two slower. That moment gave Anne all the time she needed to catch up with him.

"I remember you," she spoke the venom in her voice was making his spine tingle, "Last time you were here you looked like one of the guards, just what are you trying to accomplish here and the Grimm… how are you bringing them here?" Her eyes bore into him and in a moment of weakness he glanced towards the forest, "So that's where your friends are hiding!" She looked away from him and stared out into the forest using her semblance to search. _He was trying to run into the forest, was it a retreat or was he trying to lead us into an ambush? The Grimm caller is most certainly hiding somewhere there but that doesn't mean that there aren't others._

Slightly went pale when he realized his mistake and saw what she was doing but at the same time, he recognized it for the opportunity it was, _Bitch you're going to regret taking your eyes off of me and we'll see how much spine remains in your brats once they see you go down!_ Pouring aura into his legs he leaped at the professor with his weapons held high but that infernal Pirate stepped in between him and his prey and once again Slightly was forced to abandon his attack just to defend himself from the rapier's longer reach but he wasn't done yet! With reckless fervor, he threw everything he had to try and remove this shitstain in front of him, regardless of Peter's orders or the threat looming over their heads he just wanted that brat gone!

Ever since he started training with Pyrrha and then later on with Tock, Jaune knew that was improving little by little but it was only right now at this moment did it finally click just how far he truly has come. The mad man in front of him would have easily decimated him at the beginning of his time in Beacon but right now he could see through the man's swings, there was fury and strength but it lacked precision and tactic, _This guy is just swinging wildly and hoping that something will connect! Just like me when I first started but unlike me, I learned from my mistakes and actually put in the work!_ Sidestepping another reckless swing Jaune returned with a well-placed stroke that hit the man's thighs forcing him to kneel. When the man tried an upward strike in response Jaune was already out of the reach of the man's hatchet and stabbed the man in his exposed stomach which only further enraged him. Eventually, his foe grew so frustrated that he tried to bullrush Jaune who in the past would have panicked and made a fatal error. But now thanks to his teacher he knew exactly what to do and stood his ground bracing himself as held out his sword to allow the man to run right into the sharpened point. Had it not been for Aura the fight would have ended right there as the man would have surely impaled himself on the waiting blade. Instead, Jaune would have to be satisfied with knocking that man off of his feet and bringing the bastard's Aura to the verge of breaking. "We got him on the run, finish these beasts up and let's end this!" Jaune called out to his team as Slightly looked around himself and saw that the boy wasn't lying.

Pyrrha skillfully deflected the mighty swing of an Ursa Major, putting the beast off balance and granting her a window of opportunity that she took advantage of and with a series of stabs aimed right at the legs, she brought the creature down to its knees and its neck into the reach of her sword. The Spartan then switched Milo to blade form and decapitated the beast before it could even raise its arms to defend itself and before the Ursa's head could even touch the ground, her sword transitioned into a rifle and she brought down a juvenile King Taiju with several expertly placed shots through both of its heads, "I have everything handled here captain," she said right before jumping in between two Beowolfs who barely had time to react before she began to cut them down.

"Hey, Ren check this out!" Nora called out to her boyfriend as she rode a Creep right into a Beowolf leaping off at the last minute in an impressive feat of acrobatic prowess she flipped through the air, pulled out Magnhild and came back down like a meteor killing both Grimm at the same time and ending the performance with a cheer. "Oh! Did ya see that! Did ya see that? That was awesome!" From behind her, a Beowolf growled just before it leaped out of the darkness and tried to take her head off with its claws but the creature struck nothing as Nora having heard the growl ducked just as the beast leaped at and now she caught the beast by the legs. Looking off to her side she saw a Boartusk trying to blindside Jaune and so she threw her captive at its kin, killing both of the Grimm upon impact. "Never mind the first one, that was awesome."

"Both were awesome," Ren calmly agreed while cutting the arms off another Beowolf and using its crumbling body as a springboard to lunch himself in between two adolescent Nevermores and gunning both down. After landing he took a moment to reload Strom Flower as another group of Grimm charged at him, remaining calm he finished the reload and let out a hail of bullets aimed not for the heads or chest of the charging Grimm but rather aiming the bullets into their legs and crippling them as one of Nora's grenades flew over his head and finished the whole pack off. Once that was done he looked over to Jaune's fight and saw that the Faunus had managed to put some distance between him and Jaune and was now trying to escape by running into the forest.

Raising his guns Ren decided to put an end to that idea.

Slightly growled as a shower of bullets impacted the ground around him and cut off his escape route, _Dammit the Grimm was supposed to be my ticket out but they're getting wiped out by those kids and that damned woman!_ He changed directions trying to slip past the bullets but suddenly out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the glint of steel rushing towards him and instinctively turned around to face his attacker only to take a full force lunge in the chest knocking him into a tree and knocking the breath out of him as his aura shattered. Looking up he could see the wannabe Pirate approaching him while some guy in green was kneeling with his hand touching the ground and looking right at him, _What is that girly freak doing? Whatever they can't track me in the dark_. He tried to stand up but suddenly felt an unnatural calm come over himself as all his stress and anxiety suddenly vanished leaving him wondering why he was in such a rush,_ What's happening to me?_ On a purely intellectual level, he understood that he was trapped in some sort of mind-altering Semblance and he could even pin the source to the green brat with the bladed pistols but knowing something didn't mean that you could do anything about it, not that he cared. _What is happening to me? It's like all my emotions are being suppressed and all my worries have been taken away._ Right before his eyes, he saw that the one arm brat caught up to him, and before he could do anything he was knocked to the ground as a rapier was pointed at his chest. "What did you do to me?" Slightly calmly asked Ren who was still holding him within the grip of his semblance.

Bullets flew out from the forest and hit the pirate right in the chest, not wounding him thanks to Aura but instead pushing him off of Slightly and taking Ren's attention off of the man whose emotions came rushing back into him allowing him to assess the situation and immediately bolt into the forest and towards where he could see the Twins waving at him as he ran up beside them, "You idiot you're leading them to us!" one of the pair shouted, "Go hide somewhere else before you get all killed!" the other half added as return fire pinned all three down.

"Then why were you waving at me? And you two were supposed to guard Curly! What happened to that?"

"You happened you ungrateful twat and now we're all going to get caught thanks to you giving our location away! One twin shrieked. "Our only chance is to run when Curly draws another hoard in our direction."

Slightly just scoffed, "Please you already took out one of those losers, we can take the rest," he looked at his compatriots and saw that they were staring at him as though he had just said something incredibly stupid. "What?"

"Did you forget that Aura exists! Ugh, I should have listened to my father and become a nurse instead of whatever the fuck Peter wants us to be!"

While they were bickering a small can-like object landed near the trio and they looked at it for but one second when it exploded in a vibrant display of blinding white light which was accompanied by noise so loud it would have burst their eardrums had they been even a moment slower and failed to cover their ears but in the end, the flashbang did its job as all three men fell to the ground screaming and giving their positions away to a pissed off Professor who swung her flying guillotine and cleared a section of the forest and revealing exactly where the Lost Boys were hiding. "Dammit, where is Curly with the Grimm!?" Slightly cried much to the irritation of the Twins who were still trying to understand what just happened.

"Queen's Anne's Revenge!" One of the brats suddenly shouted.

"Who the hell is Queen Anne?" One of the Twins asked just before Nora's grenades descended amongst them, detonating and rocking their world with explosions and flinging them off of their feet and straight into the dirt as pink smoke filled the air. For a second they were just laying there trying to recollect their bearings. Looking around one of the twins could see that Slightly was knocked out cold and that a Red-headed girl in Bronze Colored armor was standing right over him and pointing a spear right at him while a guy in green pointed his pistols at his brother who was still recovering from the bombing and finally standing before him was a woman wielding some sort of buzzsaw attached to a chain.

*WWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRZZZZZZZZZZZ...*

"Surrender," She demanded as her the blades of her weapon spun leaving no doubt in his mind what refusal would bring.

"Fine, I surrender," he threw his gun away as his brother did the same. _What the hell has Curly been doing all this time?_

* * *

Driving down the road in his truck Curly felt more alive now than he ever had in the past, "Fuck Peter! Fuck this constant abuse and pressure! I'm done!" Speaking to no one but himself he vented out years of degradation and harassment that he suffered as a part of that group. "What even were the Lost Boys? Are we Bounty Hunter's or Mercenaries? Because guess what! They are not the same thing, Peter!" Reaching down he grabbed a half-drunken can of beer and tossed out of the truck along with countless other pieces of trash that had accumulated over time, "And how many times do I have to ask you assholes not to leave trash in my truck!? But I guess that even something as simple as that is just too much for you bastards!" Curly drove down that road without a care of where he was going, just as long as it was far away from here.

A few days later he would arrive in a port town and after thinking about his next move he would decide to leave Vale entirely and start a brand new life somewhere else. To accomplish this he would sell his Truck and afterward, he used some of the money to buy a one-way ticket to Vacuo. Once he was there he used the rest of the money to create a brand new identity for himself named Carlos Eventides. On the very same day, he helped an older gentleman with a small favor who then returned the favor by helping Carlos find a job as an apprentice baker and it was a job that he would fall in love with. One day in his fifth year working in that bakery a respected food critic walked in and by pure chance ended up trying a cookie that had been made by Carlos, the two would become friends, then later business partners when they opened up a Bakery together. After another three years of working together, Carlos finally gathered up the courage to ask for his partner's hand in marriage, and together as a couple they would adopt and raise many orphans saving them from a harsh life in the streets.

He would live a happy and fulfilled life becoming a pillar of his community and a praised creator of baked sweets. Carlos Evertides would die painlessly of natural causes at a ripe old age and surrounded by all of his loved ones who would never find out about his past as Curly. He was buried on a lovely hill overlooking the city he called home and on his tombstone is written a line from his favorite song.

Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run.

There is still time to change the road you're on.

* * *

Back in the present Slightly was slowly waking up, "Ah! Damn it my head hurts!" He mumbled as he slowly came back to consciousness, "Did we win?" he tried to pick himself up only to find that his hands and feet were bound, _Why am I tied up?_ Looking around he could see that he was inside a cabin of some sort and that he wasn't alone, the Twins were with him and tied up as well, _That can't be good._ Wiggling around a bit he was able to move himself and gain a better view of his surroundings which was an idea he immediately regretted having when he saw the psycho with the buzzsaw and those damn kids in the room not only unbound but glaring right at him while wielding their weapons, "Well shit."

"Alright who sent you? Talk or am I gonna have to break your knees?" Nora pulled out Magnhild and stood menacingly over the captive trio who were now regretting their decision to come and try to kidnap Jaune as well as a few other of their life choices.

With a chuckle, Professor Greene tapped the girl's shoulder and with a soft smile gently led her away. "I like your energy kiddo, really I do but you all have already done more than enough. Go to bed all of you and sleep in, you've more than earned the rest, and thanks to that flare of your assistance will be here soon anyway so you'll be handing back to Beacon before you know it!" She watched as Nora and the rest of the did as they were told, with Nora in particular happily skipping out of the room holding hand with her boyfriend, however, Jaune was hesitant to leave. "Don't worry, I'll be fine now go and join the rest of your team." With some hesitation, Jaune left the room but not before shooting one final hate-filled glance at Slightly who shivered in response.

"Oh thank god that psycho bitch left," one of the Twins spoke.

"Psycho bitch?" Greene looked at them with such fury that they wondered if they were safer with the hammer girl. "You're the ones who unleashed Grimm into this community twice and for what? The first time you stole Jaune's scroll and his prosthetic arm and now you've disguised yourself as his father and even tried to kidnap him!"

"I'll talk," One of the Twins responded seeing no value in loyalty, "I'll even tell you how we got the Grimm to show up both times." His brother looked at him for a moment and with resignation continued where he left off, "There was a fourth member of our group named Curly, you'll find his picture in our scrolls along with everything else you might want to know."

"What are you doing?'' Slightly screamed at his comrade, "You're betraying Peter!"

"Peter's an idiot and we should have bailed on the deal a long time ago!"

"Deal, what deal?!" Greene demanded as she towered over them, realizing their mistake the captured men tried to remain silent but Anne refused to drop it, "Cut the bullshit! Now I will say this only once so pay attention! You attacked a settlement twice and are responsible for significant property damage and even the loss of life and add to that an attempt at kidnapping. So let's just say that all of you at a minimum is going to be locked away for what could very well be the rest of your lives." She looked them over just long enough to make them nervous, "You will tell me everything you know and in return, I will do everything in power to make sure that none of you will be just left to rot away in a cell. Resist or if anything you say turns out to be false and I will personally make sure that none of you will pass from this world in peace!" _Oz is not going to like this mission report, none of this was supposed to happen._

* * *

Team JNPR did what they were instructed and began to walk back to their room taking time to survey the village. Unlike the first attack, there was thankfully no loss of life and most of the structural damage done was just a few large holes and scratches on the walls of a few of the buildings with the one where they were staying being in the worst condition, the buildings would stand but the wood would have to be replaced however that was something that could wait until tomorrow. Thankfully the Professor's weapon had already felled several trees which would no doubt be utilized by the restoration efforts. However, while physical damage had been minimal the moral of the citizens had understandably taken a massive blow. Nothing emphasized that reality more than when they passed by what was the remains of the dining area, now littered with dropped food, knocked over chairs and abandoned utensils all working in tandem to remind them of the feeling of peace and security that they worked so hard to restore only for it to be ripped out of everyone's hands in a moment. After this night most of the settlers would doubtlessly move away, turning the place into just another ghost town and adding it to the long list of failed expansions. It was a depressing reality but it was also one where the locals were without fault, that belonged to the ones behind the Breach and them alone.

"It's okay Jaune, the people are safe and that's what matters and they are safe thanks to your quick thinking…but," she went silent which drew his attention.

"What's wrong Pyrrha?"

"You didn't have to handle it on your own," she replied. "We only found out you were in trouble thanks to the gunshot and I know you led the guy somewhere to where you knew we could reach you in time but it doesn't change the fact that something could have gone wrong! You didn't have to risk yourself like that! You should have asked us for help!"

He stopped in his tracks completely dumbstruck by just how selfish and stupid his actions were in hindsight, "You're right… you're completely right. I didn't have to lead him anywhere, I knew he was a fake from the moment he opened his mouth. I could have, should have exposed him right then and there but no, I just had to handle it all on my own and for what? A sense of control?" He turned to face his crew. "Guys I'm so sorry, I feel like such an idiot. Goddammit, I put Tock through the wringer for trying to do things on her own and then I go and do the same thing? What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing," Ren said while reaching into his pocket, "Sure you made a mistake and even repeated them but if it was easy to overcome our faults then the Grimm would be just a story to scare kids." He pulled out a scroll and handed it to Jaune, "Call Tock and tell her everything that's happened."

"Leave RWBY to me!" Nora pulled her scroll but before dialing, she turned to her Captain and said "Oh! And when we're done here you're gonna sit down and explain to me and Ren what the hell happened here!"

"Oh! That's right! You two weren't there when Jaune's fake dad showed up!" Pyrrha declared.

"Wait, you were serious about that? I mean, I did hear you say something about Jaune's dad but I didn't think much of it at the time especially since I was busy gawking over how much of a badass Jaune looked as he threatened some random guy which sounds bad without any context which to be perfectly honest was something that Ren and I didn't have at the time. We all just kind of assumed that guy was a villain but it all worked out in the end so I guess it's all okay... Is it going to be okay!? Seriously, guys, I like it in Beacon and it's going to suck if Ren and I have to sneak out of another kingdom and change our identities!"

"We could go back to Vacuo, as long as we don't cause any more trouble they'll leave us be," Ren thoughtfully suggested.

"But pancakes are so expensive there since they have to import most of the ingredients and then you have to find a cook who doesn't put booze in everything! And don't get me started on the sand, it's so rough, coarse and it just gets everywhere, even the pancakes aren't safe from the grainy menace!"

"We once spent a winter in Vacuo, it sucked." Ren calmly explained leaving his friends with even more questions than before.

* * *

Dawn broke over the horizon with beautiful golden sunlight washing over the Emerald Forest and slowly climbing over the wall before finally pouring into the KIngdom shielded by that ever-present and ever steady guardian. Making their way through the streets of a city still in the process of waking up Tock felt like she could almost dance, an observer with romantic inclinations might describe her as a woman who had found love last night and awoken to discover that it wasn't a dream. A far more observant person would note the swords attached to her lower back and would also take notice of how well armed the men accompanying her were and conclude that perhaps this was a situation that they wanted nothing to do with. Neither one of the two observers could be called truly right or wrong, they were simply lacking the context to make sense of the sight of this particularly joyful and well-armed woman and her happy and equally armed friends.

"This is it wee jimmies," Tock declared, "In only a few mair hours this whole nightmare will end 'n' we kin finally be free, even better we'll be heroes!" She suddenly stopped and began clenching her fists and grinding her teeth, "Bit most importantly, ah will git tae break Peter fur that stunt he tried tae pull against Jaune lest night 'n' dinnae even git me started oan that fankle in th' settlement !"

"Death is too good for that guy," Turley agreed. "But we can't forget that there's a bigger problem just behind those Lost Boys, not to mention that according to Jaune only three of the supposedly four were caught."

"That guy probably just saw how bad the fight was going and bolted and that's of course, assuming there was even a fourth at all. They could have just been bluffing in a desperate attempt to lead them all on a wild goose chase so they could escape. Hell we did that once ourselves, remember Black Murphy?" asked Cecco.

"Despite never actually existing, that man is still a hero near and dear to my heart," Mason agreed before turning back to Tock. "But all jokes aside we're about to meet what's left of Peter's gang on his turf, the man is going to be desperate. Now I know that Jaune told you to expect help from his friends but that still leaves the question of how we're going to handle this because as far as I can tell, we're planning on swinging first and asking questions never."

"Mason, I'm going, tae be honest wi' ye, ah dinnae hae a plan apart fae showing up 'n' hoping that whatever the kids decide tae dae works out," she answered bluntly and apologetically.

"So you're going to rely on help? That isn't exactly your style... you've changed Captain and in a good way," he observed. "The old you would have either ducked out of this city a long time ago or run into this fight, guns blazing. You would have never opened yourself up to those kids and you would most certainly never apologize for anything you've done."

"Th' situation changed 'n' ah changed wi' it, that's all."

Turley shrugged his shoulders, "So what? I once knew a guy who was a real asshole then one day he found himself completely alone. Do you know what he did? He pretended to be a good person and little by little the lie became the truth. You can try and underplay it as much as you want but the results are the same, you're becoming a better person. Sure many would not call you a good person just yet but you're getting there and it's something that's been going on long before you met Jaune."

"Never forget Tock, the reason we are in this situation is that we were tricked. You would have never accepted the job had you known then what you know now and don't you dare let anyone tell you anything different."

"Guys…," Tock didn't know what to say.

"You're still kind of a bitch at times but we got plenty of time to work on that," Cecco playfully jabbed at her and laughed as she jabbed back laughing alongside him.

"Heads up, we're almost here," Turley announced.

And just like that they stopped and took a moment to bring themselves into the right mindset for the work that was before them. For Tock, it was easy as closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to calm any nerves she might have. After that she then checked her scroll and set an alarm, they were one hour early which was just enough time to get ready for the fight that would most certainly break out but if they lost track of the time they could easily lose their best chance to catch Peter. The second step was to scout the area and try to figure out everything that they could beforehand while keeping watch of each other's back and keeping in mind the very real possibility that they were being watched.

The key then was to take in as much as they could without doing anything that could be interpreted as hostile, a simple task that was as easy as walking down the street and looking around which gave them some surface-level information that wasn't available on any map. For example, any map could tell them they were in the district of Bloomsbury and that they were on the 14th street which was to their surprise leading them to the now sealed up Breach. What the maps wouldn't say was how people had been trickling out of the neighborhood long before a train smashed through the wall and a hoard of soulless beasts drove away everyone left. _Tis clever,_ Tock thought to herself as she took in everything, _Na witnesses even in pure wide daylight 'n' even if someone wis tae come by 'n' ca' th' cops thay wid tak' thair sweet time comin' around 'ere 'n' that juist gives peter a' th' time he needs tae disappear._ She made her way down the street taking a good hard look at every house she passed by looking for any sign of life within their walls, _If th' meetin is taking place inside o' they houses he'd be able tae hide wha knows wha or whit in th' rooms nae tae mention he'd hae many avenues o' escape 'n' o' course thir's th' possibility o' traps. Shit, maybe he isnae as stupid as we a' thought he wis._

She turned to her companions, "Whit dae ye guys mak' o' a' this?"

Cecco hefted his hammer onto his shoulder and pointed at the houses, "These things were built with the possibility of a Grimm attack in mind which means the walls are thick and the windows are made of impact glass either which is far from unbreakable but it's also not something you can just break accidentally, it will take a little effort especially in the case of the walls. If he tries to run then it will be through an opening that already exists otherwise he'll have to give his position away to breakthrough."

"But we won't run," a voice behind them suddenly spoke.

Tock and her crew immediately spun around and confronted the source of the voice which was a petite dragonfly Faunus who was angrily looking at them with a rather unimpressed look on her face. "Are you going to stand there like slack-jawed idiots or are you going to follow me to the meeting point?" Without giving them a chance to respond she began walking away, "You don't have to follow me if you don't want to but I'll warn you right now that we're desperate if you try and run we will make you pay the price. Sure we'll be taken down in the process but we don't care anymore and to be honest, it took everything that I have to keep myself from stabbing you in the back when I had the chance. So come with me and maybe just maybe we will all walk away from this."

Tock and her crew followed her with great hesitation, _Howfur th' hell did she sneak behind us lik' that? we wur peepin' ilk other's backs th' hail time, th' only wey she could hae is..._, Tock, glanced at the women's wings for a moment before dismissing the thought, _She coudnae hae flown, nae wi' they wings. Though if she happens tae hae a floating or weight altering semblance o' some kind then it wid be a different story._

The Faunus led them into one of the houses which caused them to pause out of caution, after all, how could they trust this woman who already expressed the desire to kill them? That house could very easily be a trap of some sort and while Tock's Semblance would protect her from anything they could throw at her it also came with a time limit and after that… semblances weren't free. They would have to risk themselves to save her and that could very well be playing into Peter's hands. Noting their hesitant their guide spun around to face them, "Oh for Pete's sake! There is no trap, we're just waiting for you in the backyard!" Neither Tock or anyone else in her crew took a step for which irritated the Faunus who after a while rolled her eyes and continued to address them. "Okay, so you don't believe me, fine. Then just pick a house and break into the backyard, everyone has already moved away so you won't be getting into any trouble! Just don't keep us waiting too long or we'll just assume you've screwed us over," With that, she walked through the door and slammed it shut as she assumedly went to join her boss.

Tock on the other hand just stood there pondering the best course of action, _How come she wid give us th' option tae dae that? Thare is na wey that Peter boobytrapped all thae houses 'n' if ye build a trap yi'll want tae leid yer target tae it, bit she's nae daein' that... Bugger it._ She turned to Cecco who was eyeing one of the houses and called out to him, "Howfur lang wid it tak' ye tae smash through o' thae walls?"

In response he walked to the side of the house they were led to and tapped the wall a few times with his hammer, "I think I can manage this, it will take a bit of aura but I'll still be in the green."

"In that case dinnae bother tis better if ye save yer aura in case thir's foul play." Tock with a sigh turned off her alarm and then began walking to the front door and addressing her crew as she made her way to the front door, "Ah will go in first then signal if th' coast is clear, th' rest o' ye keep watch 'til then 'n' if thare is any sign o' treachery then I'm wantin' ye tae call Beacon 'n' then come in guns blazing."

"Aren't you supposed to tell us to leave you behind and save ourselves?" Mason asked rather amused by his captain's choice of words.

"Well I'm still a bitch 'n' besides, tis nae lik' ye guys wid hae followed that order," she replied with a smile before drawing her swords, kicking down the door and cautiously walking inside as her crew nervously watched from the outside.

The interior of the house was a mess though that wasn't a surprise given how the place had been abandoned for a while now that just meant more places where someone could hide for an ambush or place a trap. She trod lightly through the hallway using her swords to carefully prod and examine every pile every nook and cranny. The floor was scoured for any tripwires or mines and even the ceilings were not spared of examination.

Eventually, she made her way to the back door, and only after a thorough search did she call out to her crew, "Th' coast is clear," before kicking down the door and cautiously stepping through.

"Took you long enough," the annoyed and perpetually childish voice of Peter reached her ears causing her to grip her weapon ever tighter. "Well let's get this over with," with a dismissive tone in his voice the manchild reached into his pocket and pulled out a scroll which he placed on the ground before his feet.

"Whit are ye daein' 'n' whaur is that wifie fae earlier?" Tock asked as her crew emerged from the door and gathered right beside her.

"You prepared for the worst so it is only fair that I get to do the same thing," Peter answered before using his semblance to push the scroll forward as Tock and her crew wearily watched him while keeping an eye out for an ambush. Before too long the scroll reached Tock's foot and she carefully reached down and just before she picked it up it started ringing. "I don't know why you're so important but this is what everything has been leading to, so don't keep our boss waiting."

For a moment Tock was tempted to just take her sword and stab it right through the scroll but, then again she had so many questions about everything that has gone on,_ This could be mah only chance._ Her mind made up, she put the call on speakers and answered, "Wha is this?"

"My name is Salem and it is a pleasure to finally speak to you, Tock."

* * *

Author's Notes: Originally this chapter was going to wrap up the arc but towards the end, I decided it was better done as a two-parter.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Notes:** With this Chapter done, its time to start the Rewrite! I promise that it shouldn't take too long but more importantly it will result in a better story. I apologize for this delay but know that it is done in the name of quality and it will give me time to plan out the 3rd act which is going to be a doozy!

* * *

"Salem?" Tock said incredulously. "I'm sorry bit ah hae na idea who yer, ah wis hired by a guy cried Hazel 'n' ah don't remember ever talking tae ye or agreeing tae dae anythin' fur ye." She began walking in the yard as her crew kept a cautious vigil for any foul play whatsoever while making sure that their backs were against the wall of the house at all times so that they couldn't be attacked from behind. Nervous eyes glanced towards Peter and she could see that he was also eying them suspiciously but he seemed content to wait for now. _'N' aye na sign o' th' rest o' his crew…_

The voice on the other end of the phone chuckled in a strange almost motherly way upon hearing Tock's answer, "I don't fault you for the confusion, in fact, I'll consider it a sign of your professionalism but I can assure you that Hazel was acting on my behalf. He's request was my request and likewise, the payment you received was taken from my personal coffers and given to him in order to hire talented individuals such as yourself. But I understand that talk is cheap so if you'd like I can have him contact you himself to confirm what I'm telling you."

"That will nae be necessary sin we've already completed that job 'n' therefore na langer wirk fur him ," In the distance Tock could hear what sounded like a Bullhead heading in their general direction, looking up she soon spotted the vehicle and noted the direction it was coming from, _That's nae th' direction o' th' bullhead station… they're comin' fae beacon! bit how come wid a bullhead fae Beacon pass thro' 'ere at this time unless... It mist be Yang! Now we juist git tae keep peter 'n' his cronies 'ere._ "Bit if ye really are his boss then ah suppose ah owe ye some cheers fur yer generosity, th' money has gone a lang wey tae pay fur our living expenses while our extended bade 'ere at Vale." She looked over to Peter and saw him warily looking up at the sky as he pulled out his scroll and typed something on it_. Shit, he's already suspicious, tis aff tae be solid tae keep him 'ere. _

Ignorant of what was going on Salem continued her sales pitch, "I'm happy to hear that you're satisfied with the payment and that you've been enjoying your stay in Vale, though I admit that I was surprised to hear about your marriage with a student by the name of Jaune Arc... perhaps a wedding gift is in order."

For a moment Tock stopped, she stopped walking, stopped breathing, stopped thinking and her own heart stopped beating. For a moment she was completely paralyzed by fear, _How does she know… na, na! Stoap 'n' think dammit! Peter knew aboot mah marriage sae o' course, she wid know! NoW git a grip fur ye'r playing right intae her hands!_ Tock closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths through the nose and then out the mouth after a few seconds Tock was able to recompose herself. "Well, I appreciate the thought but aren't you running a little late for something like that."

"Oh but I insist, in fact, I'm going to give you the present right now," something about her voice was making a chill run down Tock's spine, on the surface, it was so kind and soft but at the same time, it felt so uncanny. "I'm going to give you something that so very few people actually have," Salem paused for seemingly no other reason than to build tension through the silence, and for a moment Tock considered speaking but then Salem continued before Tock could form a single word. "My wedding gift to you is a choice."

For a moment Tock didn't say anything, "A choice?" she eventually said not really asking but rather just trying to make sense of it, "Really that's yer gift? Yer offering tae me something that a' body in this world already haes?"

There was a chuckle from the woman, it was soft, and in an odd way, it reminded Tock of the way her own mother would sometimes laugh whenever she said or did something silly as a child. Except, instead of warmth and kindness this just felt wrong. It was hard to understand and almost impossible to explain but everything about this Salem woman just felt fundamentally wrong. "My dear, everyone likes to think that their decisions matter but someone like you and your crew knows better than that, for example, you could have chosen not to take that job and you could have also chosen to just walk away after you found Maria, either decision wouldn't have actually changed anything since all it means is that someone else would have done it and thus your choice didn't really matter."

Tock was left rather unimpressed, _Ur we really daein' this philosophical bullshit right noo? Fine, if that's it takes tae end this a' th'day…, _"That's juist one specific example 'n' juist because someone else wid hae dane it doesn't suddenly invalidate mah choice," she looked over to her crew and scratched a scar located on the left side of her face. To anyone else, it would just look like she had an itch but to her crew, they recognized it as a signal for a distraction. Mason then grabbed Cecco's and Turley's shoulders and pretended to whisper something into their ears which immediately caught Peter's attention but he didn't get up from his spot, _That's fine we'll juist hae tae huv a go a bit harder. _

Salem continued to make her point, "That is a beautiful sentiment Dear, but as a bounty hunter, you understand better than most people that at the end of the day the only thing that really matters is the final result. The prey is either caught or it escapes and poor Miss Calavera was never going to escape meaning your choice had no effect on the outcome."

Tock mulled over Salem's argument for a bit since it helped buy time, _Ah chose tae let her live which is something th' others wouldn't hae dane meaning mah choices dae matter! bit Salem doesn't need tae know that, _"Ah will concede tae ye that point, sae tell me whit's th' choice ye'r giving' me?" Tock positioned herself so that she, Mason, and Cecco were standing right in front of Turley fully obscuring him from sight as he made a show of reaching for something in his pockets and making sure that Peter saw him pulling something out just before he disappeared from sight entirely. Just like they had hoped, this performance infuriated the leader of the Lost Boys just like they hoped it would.

"Okay, what the hell do you think you're doing!?" Peter got up from his seat and angrily walked up to them with his hand resting on the golden hilt of some sort of sword. However he stopped when he was halfway across the yard and glared at them while gritting his teeth, "You better not be fucking with me!"

Neither Tock nor any member of her crew was intimidated by him, why would they when he was playing right into their hands? However he wasn't going far enough, they needed angrier so he goes ahead and does something monumentally stupid, so Tock looked at him the same way an adult might look at some stranger's bratty tantrum-throwing child before and made sure he could see her. She then turned her attention back to the scroll, "Kin ye gimme a second?" She then looked back at Peter and addressed him with an impatient irritated tone, "A'm oan th' phane wi' our between our mutual Bosss dae ye think ye kin behave fur juist a little bit?"

It worked and his face turned red with rage from a combination of many different factors piling on top of each other just one right after another and combine with his already limited patience, "You listen here you bitch, the only reason you're still alive right now is because-," the man stopped himself, turned away for a moment and began venting by uttering a string of inaudible obscenities until finally taking a deep breath and turning back to face them. "I just don't want any nasty surprises, alright? I've been upfront with you all so the least you can do is return the favor."

Tock had bitten down on her tongue to keep herself from going on a rant about how upfront Peter and his damned Lost Boys really had been and it wasn't just her. The rest of her crew, _Ye stalked me 'n' Jaune! Ye robbed him tae huv a go 'n' trick me intae thinking ye hud kidnapped him 'n' then ye actually tried tae kidnap him!_ There was a sudden sharp pang of pain accompanied by a warm feeling in her mouth followed by a metallic taste that caught her attention. _Mist hae bitten mah tongue, calm doon ye heard 'n' saw th' bullhead, RWBY will be 'ere soon 'n' then we kin tak' them down. _"Ye know whit Pete, ye'r right. Mason, whit urr ye daein' back there?"

"I'm trying to take a piss, captain!" Mason declared as Turely and Cecco laughed which only further enraged Peter.

"Ye see, thare is hee haw wrong 'ere sae if that's enough fur ye ah will git back tae mah call now." With a dismissive wave and a mocking smile, she was about to return to her call when Peter curled up his fist and took an aggressive step towards her.

"Get your head in the game!" From seemingly out of nowhere the Faunus from earlier suddenly appeared hovering between the still angry Peter and a surprised Tock who was staring at the Faunus body which was glowing with Aura as her wings beat so quickly that they had become a blur.

"Belle!? What are you doing, giving away your Semblance like that!?" Peter shouted all his frustrations now directed towards his second in command who in response grabbed him

"It doesn't matter!" She all but screamed at him. "So what if they know? It doesn't help them stop us in any way and besides if this works out it won't matter. Please Peter we're so close, don't fuck it all up just because they insulted you. Let it go and then we can go free."

"But… but, they."

"Peter… we've already lost Slightly, the Twins, and even Curly. We cannot afford any more mistakes, so calm down and for once in your life be patient." Belle then gently led her leader back to the other side of the yard.

The conversation and sight of those two walking away like that might have brought out feelings of guilt in most people for trying to push him so far, however, most people were lucky enough to have no dealings with the man at all. _Ye reap whit ye sow ye son o' a bitch, _Tock thought to herself as she watched him walking away in shame before lifting the scroll back to her ear. However, before she continued the conservation she looked back at her own team and scratched a different scar on her face to send them another message without letting Peter or anyone outside of her crew know. "Sorry aboot that, where wur we?"

"I was about to give you a choice, you can either continue to work for me and I can promise you that the benefits you'll receive just for joining are going to be more than worth it, or you can refuse and I'll leave you alone," Salem answered.

Tock couldn't believe her ears, "Ye'll leave us alone?" It was a promise so ridiculous that she had to bite down just to avoid laughing at the absurdity or snarling at the woman but holding it in only made her feel stronger, "Ye'r going tae promise me something lik' that efter ye hired a group o' thugs juist tae track me down! Thugs wha went efter Jaune wha kin ah remind ye is someone that haes nothing tae dae wi' anythin' gaun oan 'ere! 'N' dinnae think fur a goddamn moment that a've forgotten how ye'v used us tae tak' oot a Huntress juist fur huvin silver eyes!" Tock felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to look to see who it was and found Turley looking right at her for a hard moment before slowly looking away. Following his gaze, she saw that he was guiding her over to Cecco who was tapping his hammer seemingly out of boredom but listening to the rhythm she soon understood that there was a pattern and more importantly a message, _Y. Here. Soon. Stall._ With a quick wave of her hand, she let them both know that she had received and understood the message before going back to her call, _Come on just a little longer…_

If Tock's outbreak upset Salem there was no way for her to tell, the woman had remained fully in control of herself every part of the conversation and never once dropping that almost kind motherly tone, it was frankly creepy. "And I apologize for what Peter has done, he was eager but he did cross the line so in a show of goodwill I will tell you where the third member of Peter's group is."

"Whit?! how come wid ye dae that?"

"A show of goodwill requires sacrifices otherwise it is empty and worthless," Salem explained as though it was the simplest thing in the world. "There is a third member in Peter's group and he is on the roof awaiting a signal to jump down and attack, by the way, he hasn't spotted your friends from Beacon approaching though that is something that could change."

_She haes bin peepin' us sin th' beginning__! _Tock's first impulse was to begin frantically looking for wherever this Salem woman could be spying on them from, but she kept herself from going through with down! o' coorse, she wid be peepin' ye, how come th' hell wouldn't she? Th' real question is does Peter know? Ah doubt that's th' case sin how come wid he be acting lik' this_, _"Sae whit dae yi'll want wi' me 'n' mah crew, whit urr ye trying tae accomplish?"

"I want to kill the slivered eyed warrior hidden in Beacon, I want Ruby Rose dead," Salem answered as an almost gleeful and sadistic tone crept into her voice or maybe it was something that was always there and only now it was obvious but more importantly it revealed something important about Salem, she was a bloodthirsty monster who could not be trusted to keep her word.

_We're going tae become enemies na matter whit sae ah micht as weel stairt th' fight, bit foremaist tae warn mah boys o' th' rat hiding oan th' roof__._ She turned around and faced her crew slowly tilting her head upwards until the get the message, "Well, then...I guess their's hee haw left tae blether aboot," without even bothering to hang up Tock threw the scroll up in the air and cut it in half before pointing the blade at Peter and charging with her crew following right behind her.

"DO IT NOW!" Peter screamed at the top of his lungs as Belle grabbed on to him and flew away with her Aura blanketing the two of them in a faint glow. Together both Mason and Turley took up their rifles but aimed at different targets, Turley was going to try and shoot the fleeing Belle while Mason tried to hit whoever was hiding on the roof however neither were able to get a single shot off.

The only warning either man received was the sound of breaking glass followed by a wave of intense but brief heat as fire erupted from around the two of them sending them and both Tock and Cecco ducking for cover from the Molotov. Thanks to their Aura no one suffered anything more than a few light burns that would soon heal but it was clear that injury was never the point of the Molotovs, it was a distraction an attempt to slow them all down to help Peter make his escape and it succeeds on the first part but it was nowhere near enough to make Tock and others quit.

The fence separating one yard from another broke apart into a shower of splinters as Cecco's hammer tore right through the flimsy wood but the man wasn't done just yet. With his crewmates right behind him, he ran up to the house and flooded his arms and hammer with Aura before swinging his weapon with all the blunt force of a wrecking ball and knocking down the wall of the house, thus avoiding any trap that might have been waiting for them behind the door, in mere seconds they were inside the house and exiting out onto the streets to continue their chase.

"There they are!" Mason shouted pointing at the sky and using his rifle to open fire at the still flying still fleeing figure of Belle and Peter who in response flew low enough to hide behind some of the houses, "Dammit, where are they running too?"

Turley pulled up a map on his scroll as they chased after the pair, "There is nowhere they can run too except…," He had to go back and double-check the map just to make sure that he was understanding it correctly, "They're going tunnel, they're going to the site of the Breach?" The uncertainty in his voice spoke volumes about his and the crew's confusion.

"Are you sure?" Tock asked, "The Breach was sealed and even if they could get in, what would they do next?"

Cecco jumped in, "Well as long as that girl has enough Aura then she should be able to avoid any Grimm by flying over them."

"But something like Flight would cost a lot of Aura so she either has a massive reserve or… Of Course! Her Semblance isn't actually flight!" Mason realized.

* * *

The doors to the Bullhead opened up and from within it leaped out Yang, Wiess, and Blake who hit the ground running with Yang who was on her scroll texting their allies leading the way as Blake and Weiss followed closely behind her while keeping a wary eye open for any signs of an ambush or even a watchman, but the further they ran the more they realized just how eerily empty the neighborhood was. "I don't get it," Weiss suddenly spoke, "A private home inside the Capital would cost a small fortune but they're empty." She said, looking at the house as she ran by. "These houses were huge investments, things they bought intending to pass down to their children, and they just left them behind never looking back."

"It's because we couldn't stop the Breach," Blake answered morbidly.

Yang suddenly stopped running which forced the others to stop as well and wonder what was going on, "It's not our fault," she spoke in a barely audible whisper that still managed to grab the full attention of both her teammates even though her back was facing them, "It wasn't our fault," this time she said loud enough for both of them to hear the raw force and emotion that was being poured into every syllable. "The only thing we are guilty of was being in over our heads if you want to blame someone for what happened then blame the people who masterminded that evil plan and blame the ones who actually carried it out but don't blame yourself! Sure we failed to stop them, but that doesn't change the fact that we did everything we could and more! Sure the results suck but it's just a part of the job!" She turned around to face them, her eyes burning red with barely contained anger, "Call this a chance for redemption or revenge if you want but the only thing that really matters now is making them pay!" She turned around and went back to marching down the street leaving a concerned Blake and Weiss to follow after her.

Anger is a misunderstood, emotion often seen as something to be avoided or even discouraged at all costs. However that line of thinking is a mistake, anger just like any other emotion has its time and place and when harnessed properly, it has the power to bring focus, drive, and the ability to push past your own limits. Looking at their friend both Blake and Weiss understood that what they were witnessing was the misapplication of anger as Yang's focus degraded into tunnel vision, her drive and intelligence were traded in for blind aggression. They would have to confront her about this but this was neither the time nor place and that frustrated them to no end, but they weren't powerless either. They could watch out for her and keep her from doing anything foolish while helping her find productive ways to vent.

With that thought in mind Blake stared at the houses they passed by with a suspicious glare, _Just because the owners left doesn't mean that they are actually empty, someone could easily hide inside them and the Lost Boys would need a place to stay... _She began to entertain the thought of suggesting that they ought to break into these homes and search them for any sign of their targets, even if they were in the wrong house it would give Yang a chance to vent, however... _There is always a chance the owners will return and I don't think a wild goose chance would help anyone right now, if anything it would probably make her angrier._ She turned away from the houses and shifted her attention back onto the road in front of her when out of the corner of her eye she spotted something moving quickly behind and in between the houses, "Weiss did you see that?" She asked while pointing in the direction she saw the movement from.

Weiss turned to look in the direction that Blake had pointed but saw nothing out of place, "I didn't see anything wrong, what was I supposed to find?" She answered back while continuing to look. _This would be a lot easier if I actually knew what I was looking for but if she knew what it was then she would have said what it was rather than just say "That."_

Seeing the confused look on Weiss's face Blake felt an odd mix of frustration and embarrassment and began to second guess herself, wondering if she had actually seen anything at all, "I guess I'm just letting the stress get to me, sorry about that."

"Don't be, with all the utter madness going on lately it's only natural that sooner or later it would start affecting us. Lately, I've been taking stress pills just to stop the migraines." As soon as the words left her mouth Weiss saw a concerned look form on Blake's face and she felt a pang of guilt for making her worry, "I'm alright, it's only a temporary measure, I'll stop taking them once all this is finally over."

Blake's face relaxed a bit but it was clear to Weiss that she wasn't completely okay with this, "I guess we all have our own ways of coping, but you didn't have to keep it all to yourself."

"I just didn't want to worry anyone with my own problems, but you're right. I shouldn't have kept

it to myself and I promise that I will improve myself!"

"You don't have to apologize, you did nothing wrong. I just can't help but worry about my friends, it's part of who I am," Blake's answered and in a moment of self-reflection thought to herself, _Funny, just last semester I would've never imagined ever calling a Schnee my friend. _With a smile, the two got ready to chase after Yang but stopped when they saw that she was coming to them and she was not happy.

Before either of them to say anything to her Yang was already shouting, "What the hell are you two doing just standing there? Don't you care about what happens to Ruby? To this kingdom?"

The mere suggestion that they didn't care about the kingdom or their friend caused their own tempers to flare but it was only for a moment, they recognized that it was Yang's frustration and fear to talk and that when this was over she would apologize and they would forgive her.

However that didn't mean that they were just going to take this lying down but when Blake opened her mouth she saw it again, movement and a blur in the distance but this time it was closer and most importantly it wasn't hidden behind a house, this time the blue was floating above the house no, it was doing more than merely rising. It was flying! "What is that?" she cried while pointing at the Unknown Flying Object or was it some kind of Unidentified Life Form?

Yang was unimpressed by Blake, "Really? Do you think I'm-!"

Weiss cut her off, "It's not a trick Yang! Blake saw something back there and now it's…," she narrowed her eyes and stared at the blur and began to make out what appeared to humanoid legs, _It's a person!_? _But who? _"Yang, by any chance is Tock's Semblance flying or even floating?"

Yang was confused by the question and turned around to see what exactly they were both looking at, "No!? She has invulnerability in fact no one in her crew can fly," Then she spotted it, the figure in the sky, and their next step became clear. "That's them, that's our target!"

"Are you sure?" Blake asked.

"Yes, I don't know how it works but that's clearly a Semblance and apart from us, Tock with her crew and of course the Lost Boys. There is no one else that's supposed to be here so it's safe to assume that whoever is up there is someone we need to take down, now let's-!" Smoke suddenly filled the sky and obscured the person from their view.

"Over there!" Weiss shouted pointing at one of the houses, "The smoke is coming from its backyard, what could have possibly happened here?"

"Look there's a man on the roof and he's going inside the house!" Blake shouted, "Do we go after him?"

"And what if we accidentally make things worse?" Weiss pointed out, "We should observe for now but be ready to move in a moment."

Yang was shaking with a desire to just rush in, beat the bad guys, go back to Beacon and then wrap Ruby in a hug with the pleasure of knowing that her sister would not be sharing their mother's fate and that Ruby would never know just how close she had been to tragedy. _But if we mess things up, then I'll just be putting everything at risk. _It was a painful decision but it was also the one that meant the difference between saving the day and screwing up as they did at the Breach. "Alright, I don't like it but-!'' Yang stopped talking when she saw Tock and her crew emerge from a house and begin chasing whoever it was that was flying away, but importantly the man that Weiss spotted on the roof had emerged and was watching the chase unfold. _That gut isn't with Tock which means he must be one of the silver eye hunting bastards…_ "Weiss, are your sigils capable of launching someone?"

Nibs watched as both his boss Peter and Belle, the second in command fly away without him and as he stood there he realized that he had been abandoned, _They're not coming back for me. _For a moment he was angry, how could he not be? He had spent years of his life working for Peter because he was made to feel like he had nowhere else to go, he had been forced to alter his appearance to become this tall lanky vampire looking creep who pretended to have a weird knife obsession and the less that could be said about the relationship he had with the other members the better, _Curley was always getting picked on which made him into stress eater which got him bullied, even more, the twins didn't even have name become we were never allowed to know something Peter didn't know and then there's Slightly who was always trying to please Peter…_ "Fuck this noise, I'm out!"

Nibs threw away the knife, began straightening his back and fixing his hair, "Let that bossy bitch call the cops on me, I don't care anymore what she or Peter says." He wasn't talking to anyone but himself and if someone were to ask why he would have said that he just needed to hear himself say the words and he was right. Spending so much time living under someone else's arbitrary rules and being made to become someone he wasn't just for the sake of appearances drained him of every level. It felt good just to be able to voice his thoughts without fear of punishment, _But now what? That bitch will no doubt carry out her threat and there's no way I can make it out of this city with Belle carrying me… maybe I should just turn myself in. Yeah, I think I'll do just that. _It was a crappy choice to make but the only thing that mattered was that it was his choice and that he was making on his own, _And who knows? I might be able to get off light if I corporate._

Suddenly he felt warm but it wasn't in a natural sort of way, rather it felt as though someone had turned on a heater or that there was an open oven just behind him and it was still getting hotter! However the oddest thing about this wasn't that the temperature was rising, it was that it was rising despite the fact he was under a shade… that wasn't there just a few seconds ago. _What's going on here? _He turned around to investigate and the last thing he saw was the sight of a rather beautiful and incredibly pissed off looking blond with burning red eyes and long flowing hair which seemed to be on fire but, most importantly was her raised fist which made contact with his face with the force of a meteor.

**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**

* * *

The sound of the impact echoed throughout the entirety of the neighborhood and even traveled beyond capturing the full attention of everyone that heard it making them stop whatever they were doing and look in the direction where the sound came from. Even Tock and her entire crew could hello but cease their pursuit and stare at the aftermath, "By the Brothers..."

What the hell are they teaching those kids over in Beacon?" Mason asked.

"Beacon? You brought a team from Beacon to help you out?" Peter asked surprising everyone there with how he was just calmly standing amongst them apparently having forgotten that only a moment ago he had been fleeing them, "I thought your boy toy was in some backwater settlement that didn't even have a name, so who are these… people!?" He took a few steps closer and looked again, "Girls!? Tock, do you know who those three girls are?"

"Aye, ah do… Peter," she replied not sure if this ridiculous moment was actually happening or if she had somehow inhaled some kind of hallucinogen with her crew and they now some experiencing the same vision, "Well…," _Ah sure hope this real fur otherwise, a'm aff tae look really stupid_, "A've spoken tae them oan th' scroll bit ah haven't actually met them in body 'til now. They're actually friends o' Jaune 'n' he wis th' yin wha pat us in contact with each other."

"How is that disabled wanna-be pirate so popular?" Peter rudely asked.

Tock was about to snap at the Peter but Turley placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "We won't get another shot at this so let's make sure that we don't waste it," as he spoke he guided Tock's eyes over to Belle who was turning red with fury over Peter's actions, "She is his only means of escape so if you can take her out then me Cecco and Mason can take Peter down."

Tock looked over that Belle who seemed to be approaching the limits for how much of this nonsense she could take and began to carefully move towards the Dragonfly Faunus such a way that she would be forced to move away from Peter if she decided to make a break for it, _Easy does it, Tock, ye'r almost there…_ Then Belle opened her mouth and shouted...

* * *

"**What the hell was that!"** Weiss shouted at Yang as she and Blake caught up and saw the crater that their teammate had made and was still standing in and just underneath her was the man that they had spotted on the roof. For one moment Weiss thought that Yang had killed him but on closer inspection, she saw that he was just unconscious, _That was too close..._ "I thought you asked me to launch you because you wanted to catch up to him! Not to try and kill the guy!"

"He's not dead, just unconscious," Yang dismissively retorted.

"I know that! And I know that the only reason he isn't dead is that he had enough aura to take the hit! Now imagine if he didn't! He would just be a bloody stain on the ground and you would be in a world of trouble!" Weiss declared.

Yang couldn't believe her ears and walked out of the crater and right up to Weiss, "Trouble!? I would have gotten in trouble for stopping someone who just wanted to hunt down and hurt my sister!? Are you kidding me? This is no different from the White Fang that fell off of the train!"

"Except this is different," Blake interjected, "As much as it pains me to say those men and women back on Mount Glen had made the decision to hurt innocents, they were… complete disgraces to the White Fang and we caught them in the act. However, you have no way to prove that this man did anything other than stalk Tock and on top of that he might know information that could have helped us stop an even bigger threat!"

"Then why are you mad at me!?" Yang shouted confused, "He's alive and captured!"

Blake walks up to her partner, "Yang I know that just want to protect your little sister but please listen to me! I had someone very dear to me change. It wasn't in an instant, it was gradual - little choices that began to pile up. He told me not to worry. At first, they were accidents, then it was self-defense. Before long, even I began to think he was right. This is all just... very familiar, Yang please… don't go down that road."

Yang was shocked even a little hurt but as she looked at the man still unconscious and crater he was in a crater she had created, she felt herself waver for a moment, _I just did what I had to do to catch him._ But that wasn't true and she knew it and already all the alternatives began to run through her head, _I could have hit the ground instead of him, I could have gone for a grab, I could have landed in front of him or behind him, could have given him a warning shot and that's just some of the things I could have done while I was still in the air._ Other ideas and what-ifs entered her head as she thought about the countless ways and options that she really did have available to her, _Could've launched Blake and she would have been able to restrain him easily and he'd still be conscious enough to answer questions. Weiss could have also come up with something but no, I just had to let my fear and anger call the shots… _"You're right and I'm sorry."

Weiss was surprised and relieved by Yang's reaction almost as though she hadn't expected it to go so well, "It's okay Yang, you were just worried about your sister. My own sister Winter would almost certainly act in a similar manner to what you have."

"But, it's not okay," Blake said to the shock of both her friends, "I've been fooled too many times by the words of someone who always promises to do better next time so don't tell me you'll do better, just do better… I'll help you." Before anyone could say anything else Blake walked forward and placed her hand on Yang's shoulder where she was soon joined by Weiss and then they-

"BOOOOOOOOOOO! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-UGHuugh...," Peter was cut off by Belle who started to choke him, while everyone watched in confusion.

"You son of a bitch! I am constantly looking out for you but you are such a fuck up! The Lost Boys are at our best when we ambush but Noooooooo..., you wanted to go hunting, you wanted to impress Marina, Stormy, Coralie and especially Tigerlily! Well, what about me huh!? Don't I deserve a bit of attention too? And do you know what would have made me happy? A Goddamn trap like what Nip did, oh wait! **YOU WANTED TO ABANDON HIM!**"

Yang grabbed the unconscious Nips and along with Blake and Weiss walked over to Tock, Cecco, Mason, and Tuerly who met them halfway while keeping an eye on the feuding couple, "Well it's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," Weiss said as she stepped forward to shake everyone's hand which was something they were all happy to do, "So, do you have any idea about what just happened here?"

Mason shrugged his shoulders "Well after that explosion Peter, wanted a closer look and then he saw you arguing from a distance and got excited over the idea of a 'Catfight,' and then got disappointed when you all talked it out instead and well… here we are."

"This feels too easy…," Yang commented while looking at Belle who was still strangling Peter even after he passed out, "You way you describe these guys made me think that we were going to be in the fight of our lives."

"A'm don't git it either bit a'm not aboot tae look a gift horse in th' mouth," Tock confessed, _She's right though, this shouldn't be this easy nae tae mention that Salem woman is somehow peepin' a' o' this unfold… _she looked out around her for anything that or anyone that was even remotely out of place but saw nothing suspicious. Shaking her head she turned back to Yang, "Sooooo, dae ye hae any embarrassing stories aboot mah husband?"

The grin on Yang's face spoke volumes "Let's start with his nickname of Vomit Boy and then I'll you about the time we got him drunk and he started singing sea shanties and just you wait until you hear how he organized a raid on the kitchens to pillage pancake mix!"

Just out of sight of anybody's watchful eyes, hidden on the roof sat Neopliain who thanks to the clever and practiced application of her semblance was able to go completely unnoticed save for a few close calls here and there but as Torchwick said, _Close just means that you still failed! _And these buffoons most certainly failed or maybe they didn't since the plans continued on their failure but that was no skin off of her back! With a cute smile, she typed out a message to Cinder letting her know everything that had happened and even took a picture for proof while skipping away and glancing over at the airship holding Roman prisoner. It wasn't time yet but she was already planning on just how she would bust him out and paint the town red, until then she would wait and play along.

* * *

Cinder with a smug grin closed her scroll and made her way across the floor of her dorm room until she reached a drawer, opened it, and took out a bottle of wine that she with the help of Neo had smuggled inside under the gaze of Beacon's teaching staff. Was it unnecessary? Yes, however, she would argue that the benefits of always having a way to take the edge off of a stressful day of plotting the downfall of innocents, was objectively a boon. However this time she wasn't going to drink to destress but rather to reward herself for a masterful plan carried out successfully while planting seeds for future victories. But she couldn't throw on a robe and celebrate just yet, she did make a promise after all.

Mercury and Emerald were nervous, a happy Cinder wasn't the same as a friendly one and she hadn't been in a friendly mood for a long time but, they would take what they could get. "So I take it the plan worked?" Mercury asked, finally breaking the ice.

Cinder took a sip of the wine before answering, "There were too many pieces on the board such as Tock and her crew which were getting dangerously involved with both RWBY and especially JNPR and I couldn't-," Mercury raised his hand to let her know he had a question. "Yes, what is it, Mercury?"

He looked at her confused, "I didn't say anything, Ma'am why would you… Emerald!" He angrily turned to his partner, "Why did you use your illusions instead of just asking yourself!?"

"Because this way, you'd get in trouble rather than me," Emerald answered with a smirk as Mercury jumped up to say something back but then both went silent and instead looked at Cinder with a confused expression on their faces as though they were expecting something from her.

Cinder on the other hand just took another hand, took another sip and looked back at them, "Are you done?" Neither said anything and instead just calmly sat down again much to Cinder's pleasure, "I would normally be upset but I'm in too much of a good mood to let your behavior ruin that, however, I also acknowledge that my explanation would have dragged on for a bit so I will get to the point. Ozpin and his allies are on the alert and without a scapegoat to take the heat off of us the plan will be all but impossible to pull off," the look of realization on the faces of Mercury and Emerald was the satisfying thing yet however the surprise on their faces slowly morphed into confusion.

"Wait for a second," Mercury spoke to Cinder's displeasure. "So, this entire plan is to make Ozpin and his little secret circle think that everything that had happened wasn't because of the Maiden in the Basement or the Relic located who knows where, but instead it was for some bright-eyed-naive-wannabe-huntress-in-training with silver-colored eyes?"

Even Emerald was showing doubts, "I know you mentioned Salem and even pretended to be her for a bit but… isn't this a little tame? I mean the Dust robberies and the Breach all suggest the there is something huge coming."

"Don't forget Amber," said Mercury.

"And the soon to be former Fall Maiden Amber and it was leading to one single slivered eyed brats who as far as we can tell, don't know anything about her eyes! Madame, I'm sorry the Ozpin will never fall for this!"

"I know he won't but that doesn't matter because Ozpin is not in charge of security anymore, General Ironwood is and he is not protected by the same laws that allow the Headmaster to operate this school free from the biases of the kingdom council and the council will be eager to put everything behind them and focus on the Vytal Festival. With Peter in custody and the memory of the Breach still very fresh and with the news the two attacks on that nameless settlement soon reaching their ears, they will do anything to calm the public down and what better way than announcing that some of the villains have been caught!"

"But that won't stop Ozpin or Ironwood from preparing in any way they can!" Emerald pointed out.

Cinder smiled, "Tock and her group of 'Pirates,' were here in Vale to celebrate a job they had completed which was to remove the eyes of Maria Clavaria who had silver eyes. What's important here is that Maria survived and is coming to Beacon while being accompanied by Qrow who will be telling Ozpin exactly what happened."

"And then he'll realize that the attacker is not only in Vale but married to one of his students!" Emerald realized, "And by pretending to be Salem you make the whole situation into this indecipherable puzzle with the council putting pressure to just drop the whole thing and continue with the festival!"

"It's admittedly not the ideal situation," Cinder confessed. "However that's reality and reality doesn't care about anyone's 'Master Plan,' to succeed you must be flexible and willing to take risks otherwise you'll fail for certain and I do not fail."

"I'm sorry Oz, but I refuse."

Ozpin rubbed his temples in frustration but couldn't bring himself to actually get mad at the man in front of him, "Taiyang please, this isn't the right time for Ruby to learn the truth about her eyes or about what is going on! When she is ready when the time's right I will tell her everything myself so please trust me!"

Tai looked back at the man who was his mentor, teacher, and at one point boss. He recalled the day that he and his steam were brought into Oz's office and were sent on first of countless missions where they eventually learned more and more about what was going behind the scenes and learned secrets that prove to be too much for... He remembered that at one point he was so dedicated to the case that he would have flung himself into a volcano gladly die if Oz had suggested it_, He wouldn't even have needed to explain why it was a good idea because I would've just assumed that he was right as usual… and that was a mistake… _"I'm sorry Oz but this time you are wrong and the right moment to tell her is never going to come because it passed us by when Summer died, but I can't at least stop her ending up like her."

Oz opened his mouth to try and argue back but the words never came and an odd feeling began to emerge from within himself, regret, doubt, sorrow, anger, conviction and finally realization, _Something big is coming and so far my policies have not only proven inadequate but they have even been taken advantage of! I need to open up! _"Every well Taiyang… come I'll take you to your daughter." Ozpin then began walking down the hallway as Taiyand followed closely behind, "How have things been since…"

"It's been hard but the help and support I've received makes it possible, I'm blessed and I have you to thank for that, Ozpin" he answered to the headmaster's surprise.

"But then… what brought this about?"

"I got a call from Yang and she explained to me what the news didn't mention about all the insanity that's been going on lately and after that, I made the decision that it was time to visit and reveal everything to them both," _she even told me things that even you don't know about but there's no reason for me to tell you that, _Taiyang thought to himself.

Ozpin was suspicious, you didn't live for as long as he had and dealt with as many people without gaining the knowledge and experience necessary to just pick up on small details or recognize a pattern and he had become very good at it. He knew that Taiyang wasn't telling him everything but that was the easy part, the hard part was deciding what to do with the information if anything at all, act rashly and he could lose an ally and friend while straining the other relationships he had. _Taiyang has never given me cause for concern and I refuse to risk his friendship and the continued enrollment of his daughters on pure paranoia_. "Very well then, Ruby is currently in the forge with her friend Penny Polendina who is aware of the situation for a reason I will explain afterward if you care to know, having you here is a source of comfort and I do hope you stay for the Vytal Festival."

"Thank you, Oz but I won't be able to stay that long however I am going to be there no matter what! Mark my words, team RWBY is going to take it!"

Ozpin watched as Tayiyang nearly ran through the hallways of Beacon in a manner very reminiscent of his days as a student, _Summer made the right choice with you. _His scroll went off and demanded his attention which under normal circumstances would have been denied, however, this particular noise was reserved for the truly urgent messages so he opened up his scroll and nearly dropped it when he read what it said.

"There is a man in the police station that keeps asking for you, he claims to be working for someone named Salem and that he wants to make a deal with you."

Ozpin quickly used his scroll to call his right hand, "Glynda I'm leaving the school in your care for today… yes I know it's sudden but this is urgent…. There is a man at the station who claims to be an agent of Hers... I'm glad you understand and please tell James for me, I'll meet him at the station.."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Stormy, Marina, and Coralie are the names of the mermaid that Peter flirted within the Disney movie though here they would be Aquatic Faunus. As for Peter's Semblance, I am basing off of his living shadow since the ability to fly actually came from Tinkerbelle. Also, I apologize for giving you all blue balls in regards to the lack of fighting, the problem here was two-fold with the first part is that I have a much bigger fight in mind and the second part being that I could think of a way to make a good 3V7.


	12. A Placeholder

Okay! We're 2/3rds of the way through with the rewrite! That means that the next batch will be the last one before the story can continue as normal! Even better, I'm almost done with the rewrite of my other story, Dead Last so soon I'll have extra time to finish this rewrite and trust me when I say that I'll need the extra time, there are plenty of things about chapter 10 & 11 I want to change.

So let's start wit the the changes

-Tired to better explain what goes into every character decision.

-Cleaned up the descriptions of everything to present a clearer picture.

-Rewrote a couple of jokes to make them work better.

-Gave a better description of the pistol

-More emphases on the destruction caused by the Breach and its impact on the characters. The reason for this is because The Breach is the catalyst for all the events that happen in this story and therefore I had to make it clear just how nightmarish of an event it was.

-More Scottish, writing Tock's accent is a pain but it is also super fun. I will probably never write another character who speaks like her again so I'm gonna get as much mileage here as possible.

-More Pronouns, seriously what was I thinking constantly writing their names over and over and over again?

-Tried to better explain Jaune's feelings about his missing arm and more important how people treat him because of it. Just like with the Breach this is a topic that plays a major role in this story so I'm going to work hard on it.

What other changes are coming?

-Rewrite the clash in the settlement

-Rewrite the confrontation Peter

This story was supposed to be a comedy put also a fair bit of drama forced its way in but that not necessarily a bad thing. What I seek to do is try to balance out the two a little so they compliment each other rather than clash. Furthermore there are a couple of jokes that I wrote out whose delivery could be improved. As for action scenes, I'm going to try and make the a little easier to follow while making it clear where each character is at any point (Within reason).

Peter Pan and his lost boys... I'm going really try and incorporate them better into the story while also making t clear their relationships with each other as well has show how they are working. These guys are going to be major antagonists and I need to use them better. Also, look forward to Rufio

I would also like more time for Jaune and Tock to be just a cute couple while also talking about their past.

Conclusion

You guys have been excellent and I only hope and pray that I be able to write a story worth your time!


End file.
